Lunar Blood
by Darkshadow91
Summary: Naruto is a werewolf fighting with his pack agaisnt the vampires. When a strange woman saves his life, will his loyalties stay firm? Or will he try to end this endless conflict? Mainly Naruhina but might contain Nejiten, Sasusaku, Shikaino
1. Saved

Naruto clenched his teeth to keep a whine from escaping. He could see his blood flowing out of the gash on his side. He knew he probably wouldn't make it. He was too far from his pack and he had already lost too much blood but at least he had taken down one of the bloodsuckers' most powerful warriors. The pale creature lay in pieces, scattered all around the small clearing. Vampires were tricky to kill. They had to be taken apart piece by piece. Their 'hearts' had to be ripped out of their chests to make sure they wouldn't come back to life.

Naruto started as he saw something flash in the corner of the forest. He slowly got to his feet, swaying slightly. Whether it was friend or foe, he couldn't tell, but he would not be caught unprepared. He growled in warning, hackles raised. He winced as that made the blood flow faster out of his body.

The undergrowth rustled and out stepped a wolf Naruto had never seen before. It had thick, dark navy fur with a silver underbelly. It raised its gaze to Naruto's and he felt his blood run cold.

The wolf's eyes were pale lavender. And they were pupil-less.

'How can that be?! Hyuga eyes on a wolf?!'

The Hyuga were a prominent vampire family, the oldest vampire family around. And the Hyugas all had the same pale lavender, pupil-less eyes and long dark hair. There was no mistaking those eyes. They were eerie and strange.

He breathed in the wolf's scent, trying to piece it together. His mind worked sluggishly, the pain making his thoughts scattered and hazy. He detected a hint of that cold bloodsucker smell but at the same time he could smell its earthy lavender scent. That wasn't all. He could easily sniff out that this certain wolf was female. Naruto knew that females, of any species, were just as dangerous as males, if not more. But something in his brain warned him not to attack her. He was weak and had suffered serious blood loss. The wolf before him, although smaller and leaner than him, was well-rested and fresh. He could also see the lean muscles beneath the wolf's lush pelt. This was one fight he would not be able to win.

She hadn't moved from where she had first entered, her lavender eyes watching him closely. Slowly, she lowered herself onto the floor and crawled over to him until she was a foot or two away. He watched all this through hooded eyes, his stance tense.

Naruto found himself unwillingly relaxing as she flipped over, showing her silver underbelly. His legs shook and buckled as his entire body relaxed with relief. Faster than anything he'd ever seen, the she-wolf was suddenly at his side, supporting one of his shoulders, allowing the gold wolf to lean on her. He hadn't even had time to blink. She was definitely fast. He could see a small glint of worry shining in her lilac eyes. She nudged his muzzle with her own and whined.

All of a sudden, her ears flicked forward and she tensed. She whined again, an urgent tone in her voice. She nudged him once more, a slight hint of panic in her gaze. He finally understood.

He allowed her to guide him farther into the forest, too tired to feel wary or suspicious of the wolf with the vampire eyes. The farther they got out, the more he felt her relax, though her ears kept flicking around, trying to capture whatever sound they could. Naruto was panting from the effort it took to keep conscious by the time they finally stopped. He lowered himself to the ground, feeling light headed. He drifted in and out of consciousness, fighting to stay awake. The she-wolf shook herself off, giving him a worried glance.

Suddenly, she tensed, an intimidating growl coming from her throat. He watched through half lidded eyes as a vampire, who seemed strangely familiar, stepped into view without a sound. The pale creature had probably scented his blood and followed them. Naruto could smell his strong cold scent, though there was something strange about it. Usually vampires gave off a scent of cold stone. This vampire smelled like that as well, but there was also the scent of pine wood. It was subtle but it was definitely there.

The she-wolf's growl died in her throat and he watched as her bushy tail swung from side to side. He felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as she gave the lavender-eyed vampire a welcoming bark. 'Another Hyuga, great,' he thought as he watched the vampire step closer and pat the wolf on the head.

"Hinata, what are you doing?"

At that moment, he finally realized who the vampire standing before him was. Neji Hyuga, one of the vampires' most elite warriors and one of their most cunning assassins. The wolf, who Naruto guessed was called Hinata, whined and moved to stand in front of him. The bloodsucker sighed, looking somewhat annoyed.

"You won't be able to save him, Hinata. He's lost too much blood," his voice was deep and Naruto thought he detected a hint of sympathy in it.

'I don't need your sympathy,' he thought venomously. His fur stood on end at being in close quarters with such a well-known vampire assassin. He wanted to rip apart the filthy creature.

The she-wolf growled again, softly but with a hint of determination. He wondered what the relationship between the wolf and the vampire was. Somehow these two were familiar with each other.

"Fine, you can try, but don't be upset if you can't save him," he turned toward the forest once again, "And do hurry. I'll try to keep others off your scent for a while but it won't work for long. Not with the trail of blood you left behind."

The dark wolf nodded, bushy tail once again in motion. The vampire smirked before he disappeared into the forest. 'Hinata' padded over toward him, her steps slow and meausured. He watched in amazement as she shifted from wolf to human. He gulped uneasily. She was definitely attractive. Her skin was a milky pale, contrasting well with her long, dark navy-blue hair. Dark lashes made her lilac eyes stand out. She had a small nose and full pink lips.

'She reminds me of a fairy,' Naruto's thoughts no longer made any real sense, the blood loss making it hard to concentrate.

She wore a skin-tight, black leather body suit that showed off all her perfect curves. She was breathtaking. She kneeled down before him, her long hair brushing his face. But while he was thinking all of this, another part of his mind was screaming at him to get away, that she was a vampire. And yet the more logical part of his brain was bewildered. She smelled somewhat like a vampire and had vampire-like features, but Naruto could not deny a small tiny fact that disproved the theory of her being a vampire. He could hear her heartbeat. Vampires had no heartbeat and although her heartbeat was strange, sounding more like a hum than an actual beat, he couldn't deny the fact that she still had one.

"I need you to phase back," her voice sounded like tinkling bells or a piece of a beautiful forgotten melody. He found himself instantly obeying, phasing back to his blond-haired, blue-eyed, tan self. He saw a blush come up in her cheeks and faintly smiled.

'That's right, I'm good looking,' he thought smugly, a weak smirk twisting his lips.

The thought and smirk vanished as a fresh wave of pain washed over him. He groaned in pain, grabbing at his side. His side felt as if it was on fire, throbbing with every beat of his own heart.

The woman blinked sadly. She moved over close to him, instructing him to lay down flat on his back.

"Don't be afraid," she whispered soothingly into his ear. And Naruto found that, surprisingly, he wasn't.

Lifting up his shirt, she bent her head to his side. He watched transfixed as her small, pink tongue darted out of her mouth and she hesitantly licked the wound. He shivered as she continued. She stopped and looked up at him. He shook his head and motioned for her to continue.

He felt guilty at realizing that he had shuddered not out of fear, but out of pleasure. He was enjoying having her lick his wounds, something wolves only did with their own mates. To have a complete stranger do this and to enjoy it, made Naruto feel dirty.

He looked down once again at the woman licking his side. His mouth opened in unbelief. The wound had begun closing. When the wound was nothing but a faint pink scar, she lifted her head up, wiping her lips of the excess blood with her tongue.

Naruto tilted his head in confusion as she gave him an unreadable look. He noticed absently, that her canines looked longer, sharper. She gave a small, almost inaudible sigh. He watched as she scooted even closer to him. She lifted up one of her arms to her eye-level, not taking her eyes off of him. He wondered idly if she was going to hit him.

Then she bit her own arm.


	2. Want

Naruto watched with wide eyes as a trickle of blood ran down her arm from two small holes. She soon covered it once again with her mouth, sucking on the wound. Moving her mouth away once again, she looked up at him, her eyes luminous. He felt her nose brush his before her lips came into contact with his own.

Naruto gasped and Hinata used that to her advantage. Naruto felt her tongue slip into his mouth, a warm liquid soon following. The metallic taste confirmed to him that it was blood. The blood she had sucked from her own arm.

He felt himself swallow the crimson liquid, spurred on by Hinata's tongue. As he swallowed, he could feel his strength slowly returning. His mind hazily came to the conclusion that she had just performed a very strange but effective blood transfer before his emotions took over. Werewolves were very easily taken over by their emotions and Naruto had never been one to learn to control them all that well.

His hand reached out, tangling itself into her hair. He heard her gasp in surprise. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, keeping a firm hold on the raven-haired beauty so that she did not escape. His tongue darted out to tangle with Hinata's. He could taste her blood as he explored her mouth, idly wondering if he had ever tasted anything sweeter. Their lips moved in unison, wild and heated.

They broke apart for air for only a minute before he recaptured her lips once more. She tilted her head slightly, deepening the already heated kiss, making it more passionate. He felt feverish, his whole body pulsing with want as she pressed herself against him. He could feel every curve of her body and was struck with a need to touch her. He hummed in pleasure as her hands traveled up his chest, exploring. He tightened his hold on her, his other arm coming up around her waist. His lips found their way onto her neck, nibbling on the soft skin there. He heard her moan softly, driving him almost over the edge.

And suddenly, he was clutching empty air. She stood a few feet away, her breathing labored, her entire frame shaking. He knew he was panting as well. He whined, hurt and bewildered.

"I don't want you to do something you'll later regret," she whispered sadly, a hint of longing in her soft voice. Naruto felt a thrill shoot through him at the fact that she wanted to continue, but disappointment soon washed over him as he realized she probably wouldn't.

"I won't," he growled out huskily. She gave a small, sad laugh, shaking her head.

"You don't even know me," her eyes were shining again, amusement clear in her tone.

"I'd like to," he persisted. She looked pensive for a minute, a torn expression on her face. Naruto wanted nothing more than to kiss her pouting lips, though he knew she had a point. He _didn't_ know her. But he sure would like to. He could see the intelligence in her gaze, the fierceness, determination, and the kindness. She was somehow connected to the vampires but Naruto could feel a certain connection with this dark-haired beauty.

"All right," he shivered in pleasure at the sound of her melodic voice, "Meet me here in two days time."

He nodded, swallowing thickly.

Moving at a speed unimaginable, she was at his side once again. Her scent wreathed about him, almost sending him into a frenzy.

"Until then, Naruto-kun," she purred into his ear. He had to bite his tongue to keep from jumping her right then and there. He felt a bit of shame at his behavior. He had thought he was above such lustful thoughts. Apparently, that wasn't the case. He stared after her as she moved toward the edge of the small clearing.

"How did you know my name?"

She smiled at the awe in his voice.

"I have been watching you for some time now," her smile was soft and wistful as she stared at him, her gaze intense. With a shudder, she phased back into her wolf form. Naruto could do nothing but watch as she once again became the navy-blue wolf. With a dip of her head, she vanished into the forest, leaving no trace of her passage behind, her dark fur vanishing into the shadows.


	3. Spinning Lies

Barks shook Naruto out of his stupor. He sighed wistfully before standing to greet his oncoming pack. He could smell their familiar scents as they came up to the clearing. The first ones to enter were a sandy yellow she-wolf and a spiky white wolf. They were soon followed by a light pink she-wolf, a chocolate brown she-wolf, and a dark brown wolf.

He nodded to each member of his pack, offering them a half smile. The sandy she-wolf, Tsunade, sniffed around a couple of times before nodding to the rest of the pack. One by one, they shifted back to human form.

"Naruto, are you all right? What happened?"

"Yeah, kid, we saw the trail of blood you left behind and the strong scent of vampires," Jiraiya looked at him, worry in his black eyes. Naruto shifted at their inquiries, feeling uncomfortable. What was he supposed to say? That a gorgeous albeit strange woman with vampire eyes and the ability to change into a wolf had saved his life and then vanished, promising to meet him in 2 days time? And that he had been kissing a complete stranger about 5 minutes ago? Somehow he didn't think that would go over too well.

He struggled to come up with an explanation. He didn't want to lie but he didn't think they could handle the truth either. At least not yet. Not when he didn't know the entire truth himself.

"Well, when the battle started, I went after one of the bloodsuckers' warriors. He seemed to be heading in the direction of our village so I tracked him down. I caught up to him and we fought. I totally kicked his trash but he somehow managed to get a hit on me. He raked his claws up my side before I ripped out his heart. Then, I…I uh crawled h…h-here and uh this rogue wolf came and helped take care of my wound. She put this healing balm that closed up the wound and gave me this liquid to drink that gave me some of my strength back. That's about all," Naruto took a deep breath, hoping they wouldn't ask too many questions.

'There, that really is the truth,' Naruto thought, 'Well, sorta.'

Tsunade narrowed her eyes suspiciously as well as Shikamaru. Sakura came forward and lifted up his shirt rather roughly. Naruto yelped in protest but the pink-haired woman paid him no mind.

"Unbelievable," she breathed out as she saw the small scar, "Tsunade, look at this."

Tsunade moved forward, bending to look at his side as well, her suspicion set aside for the moment.

"It was a she, eh?"

Tsunade glanced sharply at her white-haired mate, sending him a warning growl. Naruto nodded at Jiraiya's question, picturing her in his mind again. Long, soft dark hair, lilac eyes, creamy pale skin…she was like a goddess from heaven.

"Judging from Naruto's expression, it was a very attractive she," Jiraiya smirked widely and got a resounding smack for his comment. Naruto flushed a dark pink, making Jiraiya laugh. Sakura made a snorting sound, still poking his side curiously.

"What'd she look like?"

Naruto faced his bun-haired pack member, thinking out his reply carefully.

"Well, she had thick, shiny, dark navy-blue fur. It almost looked violet. Her belly fur was a silver-gray. She was smaller and leaner than Sakura but she was healthy. You could see muscles underneath her pelt," Naruto decided it would be better to leave out the part about her Hyuga eyes.

"Doesn't sound familiar," Tenten said after a minute. Naruto saw Shikamaru's frown deepen, his dark eyes probing. He had noticed his friend's earlier suspicious frown before when he had been telling them his story and he worried that he had not been convincing enough.

"Do you remember what ointment she used?"

Naruto shook his head, fighting to keep a blush from coming up at the otherwise innocent question posed by Tsunade. Besides, Tsunade probably wouldn't believe him if he told her that the navy-blue she-wolf had used her own spit.

"Well, whatever it was, it was amazing," Sakura sighed, stepping away and letting Naruto's shirt fall back into place.

"We're just glad you're ok," Jiraiya playfully ruffled Naruto's hair. Naruto smiled widely at his adopted father.

"Let's head out," Tsunade commanded the pack. Everyone nodded, each switching into their wolf form. Naruto gave his golden yellow pelt a shake before following the others. He fell into step beside Shikamaru, his thoughts revolving around the mysterious Hinata.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by the dark brown wolf running beside him. He gave a startled yelp when Shikamaru nudged him in the shoulder. Shikamaru's dark eyes seemed to say, 'You were lying and I want to know why.'

Naruto whined low, 'Later.'

Shikamaru gave a small nod, turning his attention back toward the front. Naruto gave a small wolf-like sigh. He had known he wouldn't be able to trick the resident genius wolf of their pack. They raced onward through the forest, the scent of wolves becoming stronger the closer they got to their village. Tsunade slowed down her pace, the others mirroring her example.

Right before they entered the village's gates, Naruto swore he heard a howl, clear and melodic, calling out to him, reminding him.

'Two days,' he thought with a hint of longing before turning and following his pack into the village.


	4. Interrogation

"All right, spit it out," Shikamaru glared at Naruto. The lazy genius had wasted no time in dragging the poor blonde to their shared bunkhouse for an explanation. Naruto sighed, running his hand through his unruly blonde hair. Shikamaru stared at him, his eyebrows furrowed.

"What I told Tsunade was only partly true," he began hesitantly, "A rogue wolf did come and help me. She saved my life."

Shikamaru's eyebrows rose, "But?"

Naruto exhaled, exasperated, "But I don't have a clue of exactly WHAT she was!"

"What are you saying? You just said that a wolf came and helped you," Shikamaru sounded confused, as if Naruto wasn't making any sense.

"I'm saying," Naruto grumbled irritably, "that she phased like a werewolf but she had bloody HYUGA eyes."

Shikamaru's mouth hung open in shock, "But…That…That's impossible."

Naruto snorted, snapping Shikamaru into thinking mode, "You're sure she had Hyuga eyes?"

Naruto snorted again but nodded, "I'm positive."

"I need you to describe every detail about her, Naruto," the Nara genius looked at the blonde, his gaze intense. Naruto nodded, a bit puzzled.

"Well, I saw her first as a wolf. Dark navy-blue fur, silver underbelly. Like I told you, she had Hyuga eyes, pale lilac with no pupils. She helped me walk to that small clearing..."

Shikamaru raised a brow, "You followed a strange wolf with vampire eyes to a secluded place in the forest?"

Naruto threw up his hands, "I was in a lot of pain, okay?! Geez, Now are you going to listen or make smart remarks?"

Shikamaru sighed, "Troublesome, ok, I'm sorry, go on."

"Then once we got to the clearing, Neji Hyuga appeared…"

Shikamaru's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, "NEJI HYUGA?!"

A look from Naruto sent Shikamaru into a reluctant silence.

"Well, it looked like they knew each other. She even wagged her tail when he arrived and he patted her head. He said that she wouldn't be able to save me but that he would keep others off the trail for awhile…"

"So that's what he was doing there…troublesome," Shikamaru motioned for Naruto to continue, giving him an apologetic smile for interrupting him again.

"Then, she phased into human form," Naruto's eyes were distant, gazing at something that wasn't there. Shikamaru snapped his fingers in front of the blonde's face, startling him.

"Wha? Oh, right…Uhm, she had creamy pale skin, long navy-blue hair, and a supermodel gorgeous body. She was short though, really tiny."

Shikamaru's eyebrows furrowed, "Her facial features?"

"They kinda reminded me of a fairy or an angel. She had really long eyelashes. Her lips were pink and her nose was small, really cute too. Her voice was really soft, it almost sounded as if she was singing when she spoke…Now that I think about it, Shikamaru, her eyes weren't the strangest thing about her," Naruto frowned, remembering another uncomfortable little detail.

Shikamaru's eyebrows once again rose in surprise, "No?"

Naruto shook his head, "Shikamaru, she, uh, she had a heartbeat."

Silence, then, "Excuse me?"

It was common knowledge that vampires had no heartbeat. They were living dead; their hearts stopped beating when they turned into bloodsuckers. Werewolves had heartbeats similar to humans, though theirs were a bit faster, a bit stronger.

"She had a heartbeat. Well, actually it was more of a hum than a beat," he trailed off at the strange look Shikamaru wore on his face. The genius had never heard of a heart going so fast that it hummed.

Naruto moved forward and put a hand on the other werewolf's shoulder, "Hey, buddy, you ok?"

"Are…are you sure? Absolutely positive?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, she even blushed. And then she bled when she bit her own arm."

"She BLED?!"

Naruto was puzzled. Shikamaru's tan skin had gone pale. Shikamaru knew that the reason a vampire's diet consisted of blood is because they no longer contained any themselves.

"What's wrong? Do you know what she is?"

Shikamaru looked at him, a slight panic showing in his dark ebony orbs.

"Honestly," Shikamaru stood, his muscles tense, "I don't have a clue…and that is what scares me the most."


	5. Conclusions

Naruto's blue eyes followed his friend, who was pacing back and forth in their cramped room. Naruto's stomach growled and he wished he could have a cup of ramen but he realized that this was more important, if only by a little bit.

"There are only a few possibilities that I can think of," Shikamaru's expression was grim but focused. Naruto thought he looked a bit constipated when he made that face but decided to keep that remark to himself. He was sure Shikamaru wouldn't appreciate it.

"Okay, shoot," the blonde made himself comfortable on his bed waiting for Shikamaru to start.

"First," the dark-eyed man began, "she could be a human who was bitten by a werewolf and a vampire at the same time. However, I find that highly unlikely since she did have Hyuga eyes."

"I still don't get that whole thing. I thought vampire women couldn't have babies," Shikamaru looked slightly annoyed at the interruption but sighed in defeat, deciding he owed the blonde for all the times he had interrupted his explanation.

"The Hyuga males go out and find willing, or unwilling, human females. They mate them, and boom, there you have it, a bouncing, baby Hyuga brat," the genius explained in a bored tone.

"But wouldn't that make the kid only half vampire?"

"Yes, but if the Halfling is a woman, then she can mate with a pureblood Hyuga vampire and have more Hyuga brats, who are more vampire than human. It goes on until the human blood is completely erased. Then they start all over again," Naruto nodded, still a bit puzzled about the whole process.

"Can I continue?"

The blonde werewolf nodded and Shikamaru took a deep breath.

"Second, she could be a vampire or even a Halfling and been bitten by a werewolf. Once again, the chances of that possibility are slim to none. The vampire venom would burn out the werewolf venom. Or if she was a Halfling, she would die since both of the venoms would be too much for her body," the genius hesitated for a bit before continuing, "And third, the most crazy and ridiculous theory of all, is that she had a vampire father and a werewolf mother. That somehow, our two species mated and this…hybrid…came about."

Naruto's mouth moved but no sound came out. He spluttered a few times before he was able to finally speak again, "NANI?! A werewolf and a vampire?! Have you gone CRAZY, Shikamaru?!"

Shikamaru glared at the panicking blonde man in front of him, "I can assure you, I'm quite sane and sober, thank you. I know it sounds like madness, Naruto, but we weren't always at war with the vampires. The more I think about it the more it makes sense…I mean, they can mate with humans, why not werewolves? She had both werewolf and vampire characteristics…What else can it be but a mix of our two species?"

Naruto rubbed his temples, a headache starting to form.

"So, you're saying that Hinata is some type of super vampire-werewolf hybrid…," Naruto pondered the thought a little. Well, it would explain quite a lot if that were true. Shikamaru looked at him, shock in his dark eyes.

Naruto started, unsettled at his friend's stare, "What?"

"Did you say Hinata?"

He shrugged, wondering why her name had caused Shikamaru so much distress, "Yeah, that's what that filthy bloodsucker Neji called her. Didn't I tell you that?"

Shikamaru shook his head, looking as if he'd seen a ghost.

"You've heard of her?"

"Hinata Hyuga, the least known but most successful assassin for the vampires," he said in a hollow voice, as if she were a word in the dictionary.

"The least known? If she was that successful, wouldn't everyone know about her?"

"She's the least known, Naruto, because none of her victims have ever survived. She's the perfect predator and the ultimate killing machine. She's quick, intelligent, and discreet. She's even better than the vampire's two prodigies, Neji Hyuga and Sasuke Uchiha…"

Naruto was struck speechless but he still managed to utter a small, "No way."

"The question that's bothering me now is, if she's such a heartless killer, with such a clean record on her hit list, why the hell did she save you?"

To that question, Naruto found that he had no answer.


	6. First Meetings

**Two days later**

Naruto slipped out of his bunkhouse as soon as he was sure his friend was asleep. He felt guilty for not telling Shikamaru of his secret meeting. But he knew if he did, the dark-haired werewolf wouldn't let him go.

His friend had been really shocked about Hinata being his rescuer and the genius believed she was dangerous. He had wanted to report everything to Tsunade. But with Naruto's pleading and puppy dog eyes, he had convinced Shikamaru to keep his mouth shut and keep this a secret between them. Besides, they weren't really sure of anything; everything they had come up with was suspicions and ideas.

Naruto stuck to the shadows, away from prying eyes. He wasn't sure how he would get out exactly but he knew he had to go and meet the beautiful wolf-vampire. Naruto made his way to the gates, trying to come up with a plan.

He couldn't knock out the guard at the gate. That would leave his village unprotected. The walls around their village were too high to jump over. And even if he somehow managed that, there were guards stationed every few feet on the wall. Sighing, he stepped up to the guard at the gate.

"I, uh, I have to…go…on…a, uh, secret mission…for…Tsunade," he lied to the impassive guard. The guard didn't even blink. But he did step aside for the blonde werewolf.

'Well, that was easy,' he thought as he made his way out, offering the guard a tight smile.

"Thanks," he told the guard before the gate closed. How he was going to get back in, he wasn't sure but he would find a way.

As soon as he was out, Naruto broke out into a run, phasing as he entered the forest. He ran towards the clearing where he had met Hinata, enjoying the wind running through his fur and the light of the waning moon on his back.

He felt a fluttering in his stomach as he smelled the scent of lavender coming toward him on the breeze. He quickened his pace and burst into the clearing.

And there she stood.

Her face was tilted up toward the night sky, her eyes closed. The moon seemed to make her skin glow with an unearthly light. Her long, dark hair swayed in the breeze, swirling around her petite frame. She wore the same clothes, though now they were made of a dark violet leather.

His breath caught in his throat.

As if sensing he had arrived, her eyes opened and her head turned towards him. A surprised but ecstatic smile graced her features.

"Naruto-kun, you came," she whispered happily, her eyes twinkling like two bright stars.

He nodded, padding forward. He watched as she gracefully shifted into her wolf form, coming to meet him halfway.

Her tongue darted out and licked his muzzle, making him hum with pleasure. Both their tails were wagging. She stepped away from him, shifting her paws and whining playfully. He could feel the excitement bubbling up inside of him.

He burst forward, out into the forest. He could hear her bark of laughter as she followed him. Soon, she had caught up to him, her pawsteps matching his, step by step. Their pelts brushed every now and again, sending electric jolts through his body.

When they finally stopped, they were by a small lake surrounded by trees. He had never been there before, even though it was in his own territory. Both were panting from the run, their eyes glowing in the dark. She shifted first, her laugh ringing out softly. He shifted soon after, his grin stretching from ear to ear. She sat down by the lake's edge, dipping her feet in the surprisingly warm water. He joined her, both sitting in companionable silence.

"Hinata-chan?"

Naruto broke the still silence first, hundreds of questions buzzing around in his skull.

She laughed softly, "Yes?"

"Could I ask you a few questions?"

"Ask away," a small smile graced her lips, her gaze looking out at the many stars in the sky.

Naruto thought for a minute. Which one should he ask first? His eyebrows furrowed before settling on one of the many questions he had, "What exactly are you?"

Hinata finally shifted her warm gaze to him, her eyes glowing like two bright moons, "You haven't figured it out yet, Naruto-kun?"

"Well, I have a hunch but I'm not sure if it's right. I mean, it's so ridiculous," he ran a hand through his golden hair.

"What is? That my father was a vampire and that his first mate, my mother, was a werewolf?"

His eyes widened, "So, I'm RIGHT?!"

She chuckled but nodded, "Yes, I'm half vampire and half werewolf. My father and mother went against all the rules of society. Mind you, this was before the war took place. Even so, there was a lot of conflict because of their union. By the time my mother had me, the war was just beginning. She died giving birth to me. Father…for the longest time he wouldn't look at me. He said I reminded him of her."

He sat there for a minute, speechless, "Oh…Do the other vampires know?"

She nodded, her lips turning down into a small frown, "They don't particularly associate with me."

"Ok…uhm, are you really an assassin? Shikamaru said you were one of the best assassins the vampires' have had," Naruto watched her carefully. Her eyes darkened slightly, her frown deepening.

"Yes, and it is not something I am particularly proud of. War can bring out the very worst in people, Naruto-kun," Naruto could hear the sadness in her voice. Her expression was pained, "I have had to do things that I am immensely ashamed of."

An uncomfortable silence fell over them and Naruto cursed himself for asking her about something so painful. She seemed to guess what he was thinking and leaned on him, her head resting on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. He blushed but smiled contently, wrapping an arm around her waist, realizing that this was her way of saying she was ok.

He broke the companionable silence once again as he thought of something else, "Oh, yeah! When we were in the clearing, you told me you had been watching me for some time. What'd you mean by that?"

She laughed sweetly, capturing his undivided attention with its melodious sound, "When I was 12 years old, I ran away from home. I thought my father hated me; all the other vampires ignored me. I felt so alone. That was the first time I actually phased. I realized then why the vampires despised me. I couldn't stand the sight of myself. I ran. I didn't care where I ended up; I just knew I had to get away. When I stopped running, I found myself here. I stayed here for a few days, trying to understand and accept what I was," her voice was clear and soft, drawing him in, "After a while, I went out every night to explore the forest. I occasionally saw a few werewolves go by, but I always hid from them. The vampires hadn't accepted me for being half-werewolf, I was sure the werewolves wouldn't accept me because I was half-vampire. On one of my nightly strolls, I saw you. You were crying. I wanted nothing more than to go out and comfort you. But I was afraid."

Naruto watched her tell her story, trying to remember the incident she was relaying.

"So I stayed crouched in the shadows, watching over you. I suddenly remembered a lullaby that my kind sang to the newborns, to calm them down. Phasing back to my human self for the first time in weeks, I sang to you. You stopped crying, though I could see you were confused. You asked me who I was. I told you I was a friend, one who was hurt just like you were. And then you told me something that I will never forget," Hinata's eyes shone with the memory, "You said that I had a very nice voice. And a person with such a beautiful voice shouldn't be so sad. You asked me what had happened that made me so sad. And I told you that many people hated me. Then you told me that I shouldn't care what others think and that I shouldn't give up, because giving up and I quote, 'Is for losers'," At this she smiled, giggling softly.

Naruto suddenly remembered that day; it had been over 10 years ago. It had been the day his parents had died in a ferocious battle against the vampires. He had felt such grief when he'd heard the news, he had run out of the village and gotten lost. Now that he thought about it, someone had sung to him on that day before Jiraiya had come along and found him, "That was YOU?!"

Hinata nodded, eyes sparkling in amusement, "I went back home that day. But I kept a close eye on you from that day forward. I watched you grow from a clumsy teenager to the courageous man you are today."

Naruto blushed at her compliment, "Why did you save me?"

Hinata laughed, "That's kind of out of the blue, don't you think?"

"I know, I'm sorry," Naruto could feel his cheeks heat up again, "But it's important for me to know. And I figured we don't have a lot of time left since the sun is almost rising."

Hinata started as she saw he was right. He grinned widely as she blushed. She wrung her petite hands agitatedly, "Oh, I'm sorry, I've been talking about myself all night!"

Now it was Naruto's turn to laugh, "Not to worry. I was asking the questions remember? I wanted to hear more about you."

She blushed again, smiling shyly up at him. He felt his heartbeat quicken.

"I saved you, Naruto-kun, because I admire you. But most of all, because that day, 10 years ago, you saved me from losing myself. You helped me have faith in my abilities. I will forever be grateful to you for that," she whispered softly, "You were the first person to treat me like I was worth something."

Naruto was speechless. He didn't know what to say. To know that he had unknowingly changed someone's life left him feeling warm and tingly all over.

"Thank you for answering my questions," he grinned shyly at her now, feeling a little embarrassed.

She laughed softly, "You're welcome. We should probably head back."

He nodded, feeling a little disappointed. He had enjoyed spending the night with her and listening to her talk. She must have noticed because, before he knew what was happening, she had stretched forward and placed a quick kiss onto his lips.

He grinned goofily, his eyes glazing over. She giggled, helping him stand up. She squeezed his hand before turning toward the forest.

"Hinata-chan?"

She turned back, her eyes catching the last rays of moonlight, "Yes?"

"Could I maybe see you again?"

She looked surprised for a minute before her cheeks turned a light pink and she nodded, "I would really like that, Naruto-kun."

He beamed, his grin stretching from ear to ear. Before she turned away, Naruto grabbed her wrist and brought her to him. She gasped softly as her body came into contact with his. She barely came up to his chin. He bent his head, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. They broke apart after a minute, both in need of air.

"I'll see ya tomorrow night?"

"Uh-huh," she said breathlessly. Grinning happily, he gave her a quick peck before letting go of her. He watched as she shifted from woman to wolf. Her eyes shone with warmth and she nodded her head at him before disappearing into the woods. He sighed happily before shifting as well and taking off for his village, his paws feeling lighter than they had been before.


	7. Confrontations

"Where have you been?"

Naruto pulled the covers over his head, trying to ignore his furious roommate. That was proving to be impossible, with Shikamaru pulling off his covers and punching him in the arm and head, "What the hell do you want, Shikamaru? Can't a guy get any sleep around here?"

The genius ignored his question, "WHERE did you go last night?"

And suddenly, Naruto felt wide awake. He gulped nervously. He had been so sure Shikamaru had been asleep. How had he found out? Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he lied, his eyes not coming up to meet his friend's. He averted his eyes when the other man stared him in the eye.

"You know, you're a really rotten liar," Shikamaru growled out threateningly, his coal black eyes blazing.

He pouted childishly, "Geez, can't a guy keep any secrets to himself around here?"

With the look Shikamaru was giving him, he already knew what the answer would be.

A resounding NO.

The Nara gave an irritated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Naruto, I'll only ask once more. Where did you go last night?"

Naruto shifted uncomfortably, cursing Shikamaru for being so damn smart. What does a person need an IQ of 200 for, anyway?

"I went to meet Hinata," he confessed softly but firmly, looking the genius straight in the eye. Shikamaru's eyes widened then narrowed into thin slits.

"Oh for Kami's sake, tell me you didn't," Shikamaru slapped a hand to his forehead, muttering something about dumb blondes, "Did you not hear a WORD of what I said last night? Naruto, that woman is dangerous."

Naruto felt his blood begin to boil, "She is NOT! She's super sweet. She'd never do anything to hurt me. The other vampires make her be an assassin."

Shikamaru sighed, massaging his temples, "Did you at least ask her what she was, then?"

Naruto was still fuming but swallowed his anger, "Yeah, we were right. She's this weird half-vampire, half-werewolf thing."

"We have to tell Tsunade about this. Our warriors are used to dealing with vampires. But a Hybrid? That's something else altogether," Naruto looked at Shikamaru, shocked.

"What? No, you can't tell Tsunade yet. Hinata trusted me with her secrets, I already feel bad telling you," he couldn't let Shikamaru tell Tsunade about Hinata. What if Tsunade ordered the wolves to kill the Hybrid? Though Naruto was sure Hinata could handle herself in a battle, he felt a sudden fear in thinking of his friends going after her. And he wouldn't give away a secret that wasn't his.

"Naruto, do you know how many werewolves she's killed? This could help us finally win the battle," Shikamaru sounded tired. Naruto knew how he was feeling. The war had been going on for so long. Many were tired of the bloodshed, tired of the deaths.

"Please, Shikamaru, she feels bad for what she's done. I think the vampires are forcing her to do those things. There has to be another way to end this war. The vampires may not like her, but she's one of their assassins. Killing her would only make them more bloodthirsty. They'd want revenge on us for killing their most powerful assassin," he pleaded with pineapple-headed man, trying to appeal to his more logical side, "Maybe we could, oh I don't know, uh try to join forces with her. I bet she knows tons about the vampires and we could see if we could somehow make up a plan to end this war."

Shikamaru fell into silence. Naruto could see he was thinking, so he stayed quiet, hoping that he had somehow saved Hinata from being torn apart by his werewolf friends.

"You know, surprisingly, and I can't believe I'm saying this, you're right. About both things. I still don't trust her, but she probably does have information that could be critical. Do you think you could somehow communicate with her? Maybe call a meeting? Our races have fought on for too long in this pointless war. No one even remembers what started it. Perhaps we can come up with something to end it, once and for all," Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and hugged Shikamaru. The brunette struggled in his grip, obviously uncomfortable.

"Leave it to me! I'm going to meet with her tonight," Naruto told his dark-haired pack member, "Maybe you could come along."

Shikamaru nodded, "Come on then, let's get something to eat."

Naruto felt his stomach rumble and nodded eagerly. Now that Shikamaru had brought up the subject of food, he felt ravenous. Although he would have liked to meet Hinata alone, he would do anything to keep her safe.

Naruto was a bit startled at how strongly he felt for the Hybrid, considering they had met only twice. Well, three times if you counted ten years ago. But he couldn't deny the fact that he was starting to like her. She was different than all the other women he'd ever encountered.

Sure, the others were beautiful. But she had this aura about her that drew him in. While others called him slow and stupid, she thought him courageous. The other females in his pack would never dream of taking a midnight run…they would probably have called him childish because of it. Hinata had been the one to encourage him to the race. Naruto grinned goofily, his eyes glazing over. Oh, yes, he definitely liked her. And he would defend her from whatever tried to harm her, physically or emotionally. He would become her protector.

He owed her that much for saving his life.


	8. Findings

"Just stay here for a minute, okay?"

Shikamaru grunted but obeyed his order. It had been easy sneaking out tonight since the genius seemed to know of a secret entrance that was left unguarded. He wished he had known about it before. It would have made his life so much easier.

Naruto had decided it would be better if he went out alone first. He didn't want to frighten Hinata away. He worried that Hinata would bolt if she saw him accompanied.

He walked out into the quiet clearing, looking around. He spotted her sitting at the spot they had been occupying last night, her feet once again in the water.

"Hey," her head turned, her eyes lighting up when they caught sight of him.

"Naruto-kun," he couldn't help returning the smile she offered him.

"Hinata-chan," Naruto decided that the sooner they were done with introductions, the better. Besides, he was sure that the Nara genius wouldn't wait in the tress for much longer.

She stood, coming to stand in front of him, "Hai?"

"I, uh, I have someone I want you to meet," she looked up at him, smiling slightly. He was a bit confused. He thought she'd be angry or hurt, maybe even offended.

"I know," she giggled, "You can tell him to come out of hiding if you want. I could smell your scents quite clearly from a few meters back."

He chuckled after getting over his shocked surprise, motioning for Shikamaru to come out. The lazy genius looked a bit disgruntled, leaves sticking out of his hair. A soft laugh escaped the hybrid, making Shikamaru's cheeks flush.

"Hinata-chan, this is Shikamaru. Shikamaru, this is Hinata-chan," he introduced the two. Shikamaru seemed surprised when Hinata bowed, a small smile on her face.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Shikamaru-san," her eyes twinkled merrily at the sight of Shikamaru's shocked face. Said boy suddenly gripped his pack member's arm and brought him close to whisper in his ear.

His whisper was low and harsh, "You didn't tell me she looked like…that!"

Naruto looked confused, "I told you she was gorgeous, didn't I?"

Shikamaru spluttered, making Naruto smirk at the werewolf.

"Is there a problem, gentlemen?"

"Nope," Naruto offered Hinata a large grin, while Shikamaru shook his head, "We actually wanted to talk to you about some important stuff."

"Oh?"

Shikamaru cleared his throat once, before picking up the conversation, "We want this war over with. Naruto thinks you may be able to help us."

She looked surprised for a minute before her expression became thoughtful. The two werewolves waited silently as the hybrid thought.

"You want to end the war?"

Both men nodded, the blonde eagerly, the brunette solemnly.

Hinata sighed softly, "A small group of us have been trying to end it for a while now…so far, we have been unsuccessful."

"Perhaps we could help with something. I mean, maybe you could somehow convince your father to meet with Tsunade. We could even try to draft up a peace treaty. Kami knows, both the vampires and the werewolves are tired of the fighting," Shikamaru offered the least bloody and more peaceful suggestion he could think of.

"Unfortunately, that wouldn't work. My father is not the one in command. There is another pulling the strings. I do not know who he is, but he is ruthless and cruel. And although my father and I do not get along too often, I can tell that he is tired from this fighting, as well as the other vampire lords. But this unknown master has forced them to keep the war going," Hinata's words stunned the two werewolves.

Shikamaru frowned, "What do you mean, 'someone else'?"

"If it was up to the vampire lords, this war would have been over with long ago. But somehow, this leader has the lords too scared to do anything. He's somehow blackmailed each of the lords to do his bidding," she explained further.

Naruto clenched his fists, "So, we take this mystery man down!"

Hinata laughed softly at Naruto's enthusiasm and he flushed, "That is what we have been trying to do but without much success. This 'mystery man' is neither vampire nor werewolf, it seems, though I have never actually laid eyes on him."

"WE?"

Hinata nodded at Shikamaru's question, "Others of my kind."

Shikamaru and Naruto's eyes bulged, surprise shining in their eyes.

Shikamaru gulped dryly, "You mean there are more hybrids?"

Hinata nodded again, "A few others. I can bring them tomorrow night, if you'd like. Of course, you could also bring 2 more of your kind so that we are even. That way there's no accusations of being unfair."

The Nara genius shuffled his feet, "So, you guys will help us end the war?"

She smiled slyly, "It would be our pleasure, Shikamaru-san. This war has been going on for far too long. It's time someone put a stop to it. Besides, who would ever think of vampires and werewolves working together?"


	9. Packs

"Would you please tell us what's going on?"

Shikamaru and Naruto said nothing, waiting patiently in the moonlit clearing. Tenten sighed, twirling a kunai between her fingers, a bored expression on her tanned face.

"Give it up, Sakura, they're not gonna tell us any more than what they already did," the older she-wolf was just as curious as the pinkette but she figured that the two werewolves would tell them when they were ready.

Shikamaru gave the two a blank stare, stifling a yawn, "It's not like we don't want to tell you. It's just easier shown than explained, understand?"

Sakura huffed at Shikamaru's lazy reply, plopping down beside Naruto. The blonde was tapping his fingers on the floor, squirming in his seat every once in a while. Sakura looked like she wanted to hit him to make him stop.

She leaned back on her hands, blowing a strand of pink hair out of her face, "What are we waiting for anyway?"

Suddenly, Naruto grinned, "That."

Both Sakura and Tenten turned to where Naruto was looking. At first they saw nothing. Then, out of the shadows, emerged a dark shape. It materialized into the form of a navy-blue wolf. Its pelt shone in the moonlight. It padded forward, making absolutely no sound. The two she-wolves watched spellbound. Naruto stood, grinning widely.

"About time you got here, Hinata-san," Shikamaru drawled lazily. Hinata hummed in her throat, her eyes sparkling with laughter. Naruto glared at the wolf man.

"We weren't waiting long at all, Hinata-chan," Naruto stepped forward, giving the wolf a reassuring smile, "Where are your friends, then?"

The two females on Naruto's pack were speechless. Sakura recognized the physical traits that Naruto described on the she-wolf that rescued him. Both noticed at the same time that the wolf had Hyuga eyes. They looked at each other, eyes wide. Hinata tipped back her head and let out a melodic howl.

Out of the shadows of the forest, three shapes materialized. The first to pad forward was a dark, chocolate-brown wolf with a cream underbelly. The wolf also had Hyuga eyes. Next, came a pitch black wolf, his red eyes gleaming in the moonlight and sending shivers down Sakura's and Tenten's spine. And last, a pale yellow wolf pranced forward, glancing at the werewolves with twinkling sky-blue eyes.

Hinata moved forward, phasing with liquid grace. She moved toward Naruto, her smile warm.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," Sakura and Tenten found themselves instantly relaxing at the sound of the stranger's soft voice. Naruto grinned in response, pulling her in and pecking her on the cheek. She flushed a light pink and giggled.

"Hello, Shikamaru-san," she smiled at the pineapple-headed man, "It's good to see you again."

"Hey, Hinata-san," the genius returned the smile, nodding his head towards her.

"I'm afraid I don't know your names," the raven haired beauty had turned to the two other females, smiling shyly.

Naruto bounced excitedly, eager to please, "That's Sakura-chan and Tenten! They're two of our strongest warriors!"

"It's troublesome, but they're two of our most trustworthy pack members," Shikamaru drawled, choosing to ignore the glares sent his way.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sakura-san, Tenten-san," Hinata bowed, smiling warmly at the two.

"The pleasure is all ours," Tenten found that she instantly liked the raven-haired woman. She had been a bit wary when the stranger had first entered, since she had vampire eyes. But she found that Hinata was charming. Disarmingly so.

Sakura found that she too liked the strange woman. She was polite and shockingly beautiful. 'If she didn't act so nice, I'd probably be jealous,' the pinkette thought good-humoredly.

She turned her attention back to the two men, "Have you told them?"

Both of the male pack members shook their heads no. Hinata nodded in understanding, flashing the boys another warm smile.

Shikamaru gestured to the wolves sitting behind Hinata, a curious light in his eyes, "Are these the others you told us about?"

"Getting right down to business, I see," Hinata laughed softly, making Shikamaru flush, "Yes, these are my friends and pack members. Allow me to introduce them."

As she said this, the dark chocolate-brown wolf padded forward, phasing with just as much grace as Hinata had done. The werewolves' eyes widened as they looked at the man standing before them.

"This is Neji Hyuga, my cousin," Hinata said softly. The long haired man stood before them, his Hyuga eyes glittering in the waxing moonlight. His pale skin glowed, giving him an ethereal air. He nodded toward the pack, moving to stand beside Hinata.

The black wolf padded forward next, phasing as soon as he was in motion. The werewolves once again were shocked by who they saw.

"This is Sasuke Uchiha," Hinata introduced the dark-haired man in front of her in the same soft tone she had used to introduce her cousin. His eyes had gone from red to black, staring apathetically at the gathered werewolves.

"And lastly, this is Ino Yamanaka," Hinata smiled slightly as the pale blonde wolf trotted forward, her head held high as she phased. The blonde woman smiled cheekily at the female werewolves before going to stand by the others in her pack.

The werewolves said nothing at first, staring at the well-known vampire assassins before them. Sakura was the first to stir, "Would someone PLEASE explain what the hell is going on here?"

"Sakura, language," Tenten hissed at the pink haired woman. The older woman fidgeted slightly, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. It was one thing to meet your enemy on a battlefield when the adrenaline was high and your blood was hot. It was another thing entirely to meet your enemy secretly under terms of peace. Especially when your enemy was _**very**_ good-looking. Unfortunately for her, it seemed the Hyuga had caught Tenten's appreciative look-over. Tenten flushed when the Hyuga actually had the audacity to smirk. She looked away, trying to cool down her burning cheeks.

"Sakura-san, we are not what we seem," the Hyuuga female began, "We are hybrids, a mix between werewolves and vampires. And we need your help to stop this pointless war."

The two werewolf females shifted uncomfortably, but listened attentively.

"Our pack has tried to stop this bloodshed but without success," Hinata sounded tired, her shoulders slumping.

"Hinata-chan said that it isn't the vampire lords who are keeping the war going. It's someone else altogether. Me and Shikamaru said we'd help," Naruto looked at the two earnestly, giving them puppy dog eyes. Sakura and Tenten looked at each other and sighed.

Tenten shrugged helplessly, flicking her kunai down into the ground, "Where do we sign up?"

"Count me in," Sakura gave a helpless shrug. The hybrids visibly relaxed, relief evident in their eyes.

"So," Tenten placed her hands on her hips, "when do we start?"

Neji smirked at the bun-haired female, stepping up to answer her question, "First, we train."


	10. Sparring

"Training?"

The Hyuga male nodded but kept silent. Hinata sighed, though her smile was amused, as if she was used to her cousin's behavior.

"Just as werewolves have figured out a way to kill the vampires, the vampires also know of a few tricks to kill your kind," the Hyuga female explained softly, "What Neji is suggesting is a good idea. We wouldn't want our only werewolf allies to die in battle."

Shikamaru scratched his chin, "What kind of tricks?"

The bubbling Ino answered the Nara genius in a chirpy tone, "You guys are super strong in your wolf forms. But you don't know how to use that strength in your human forms."

Hinata nodded, "The vampires just have to make you change into your human forms to easily kill you. Though I have to admit, you guys are slightly more capable than some of your pack members."

"So," Tenten began, "You guys are going to help us train against vampire attacks in our human forms?"

Neji smirked and nodded. Tenten glared at him, not liking the way he was looking at her. His smirk widened at her show of defiance. She caught his smirk and turned her head away, grunting, 'Sure, he's good looking,' she thought, 'But his ego is as large as the moon.'

"That's right," Hinata nodded happily, not missing the tension between her cousin and the bun-haired female.

"We should split into teams of two," the brooding Uchiha looked apathetic, though he kept throwing glances in Sakura's direction.

Naruto was the first to jump up, "OH, OH, I CALL HINATA-CHAN!"

Everyone looked at the blonde werewolf, chuckling slightly. The Hyuga female flushed, though her eyes twinkled happily. She nodded shyly, going to stand beside Naruto.

Neji smirked before moving to stand beside Tenten, "You're training with me."

Tenten shivered as he whispered in her ear, his breath fanning over her exposed neck. She could only nod, trying to compose herself. Neji's pale lilac eyes glittered with smugness and triumph.

The Uchiha said nothing as he came to stand besides the pink haired werewolf. Sakura raised a delicate pink eyebrow, her eyes questioning. He said nothing but his heated stare was enough for Sakura to realize there would be no arguing.

Ino bounced forward and attached herself to Shikamaru's arm, "You're with me, handsome."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, though his cheeks were tinted a soft pink. The blonde's eyebrows furrowed and she stuck her tongue out at him.

The four pairs moved away from each other, each finding a small place to spar in, so that they would not get in each others' way.

**~Naruto and Hinata~**

"Let's go, Hinata-chan," the hyperactive werewolf grabbed hold of one of the Hyuga female's hands and started dragging her away. Naruto grinned happily, excited that he would be spending some time alone with the dark-haired woman. Hinata blushed, nodding happily. She gently disentangled her hand from his when they were away from the others, moving to stand across from him.

"Now, Naruto-kun, attack me," her eyes glittered in amusement, her lips forming a small smile. He looked a bit hesitant but she nodded encouragingly. The blonde rushed into action, sending a kick aimed for her stomach. She swiftly dodged the attack, catching his foot in her hands and twisting it.

He landed with an 'oof' on the ground. She giggled, offering him her hand to help him stand. He took it, frowning slightly. They got into position again, this time Hinata moving forward first. It took all of Naruto's concentration to defend himself.

'She's so fast,' he thought approvingly. She reminded him of a dancer, her movements fluid and graceful.

Naruto suddenly saw an opening, moving forward to swipe his legs under her. She didn't seem surprised. Before Naruto could guess what was happening, he was flat on his back, the young woman straddling him. Naruto fought against the blush on his cheeks but lost. The hybrid giggled again, sounding a little breathless.

"Never go for the obvious kill, Naruto-kun," she whispered in his ear. Lifting up her head, she bent her lips to his. Her kiss was light and delicate, almost teasing. Before he even had time to respond, she was off of him, standing a few feet away in a defensive stance.

Her eyes shone with a challenging light. He stood, licking his lips in anticipation before once again moving to spar with his too-attractive training partner.

**~Neji and Tenten~**

"Come," Neji commanded before stalking off, making Tenten roll her eyes. Tenten followed the Hyuga male to a spot in the large clearing, away from the others. She felt a little apprehensive at being alone with the vampire-werewolf, but she was sure she could handle herself. 'Besides, it's not like he would try anything, right?'

The smirk he sent her way made a delicious shiver go up her spine. She glared, though her stomach seemed as if a thousand butterflies were flying around in it. 'Stupid, arrogant jerk. And stupid me for reacting to said jerk.'

He stood across from her, smirk still in place. Without waiting for a signal to start, Tenten rushed towards him, her fist poised to punch him in the gut. He didn't even blink in surprise as he shifted slightly and dodged the oncoming blow.

Tenten was surprised at his speed but quickly recovered. She dodged the kick he aimed at her head, quickly retaliating with a kick of her own. Their spar resembled a practiced dance, consisting of spinning, twirling, dodging, and attacking.

Tenten was panting slightly, sweat running down her back after a few minutes. Neji showed no signs of being tired, though his eyebrows were slanted down in concentration. Neither of them had managed to get a hit on the other.

And suddenly, Tenten's chocolate-brown eyes locked onto his pale lilac ones. Time seemed to slow down. Tenten faltered for a heartbeat.

That was enough of a pause for Neji to make his move. He was suddenly behind her, his arms around her lean frame. His lips were at her neck. Tenten could feel the sharp points of his canines against her tan skin.

"You're dead," his breath fanned over her neck. This time he felt her shiver and smirked. And then he was in front of her, tilting her face up. His lips captured hers in a heated kiss.

Tenten found herself instantly responding, her fingers tangling themselves into his long hair. His long, pale fingers stroked her cheek. His other hand came to rest at her waist. She felt as if she was on fire, her blood boiling. Tenten had never felt like this before. He pulled her tighter against him, until there was no more space between them. Neji was fierce and demanding, his mouth hot against her own. They pulled apart, both panting for breath.

"Good, let's try that again," Neji smirked down at her before moving away and settling into a defensive stance. Tenten felt herself flush with embarrassment, moving to get into an attacking position, all the while berating herself and cursing the man across from her. The Hyuga male only smirked, his eyes flashing with desire. Tenten cursed herself for letting him take advantage of her like that. 'He took my first kiss!'

With renewed determination and a kindled rage, she came towards him, their dancing beginning anew.

**~Sasuke and Sakura~**

Sakura felt slightly intimidated by the brooding hybrid before her. He was a good head taller than her, his black eyes intensely staring her down. She fidgeted uncomfortably, fighting against the blush that was trying to work its way onto her cheeks. He was hot, distractingly so.

"Let's start," his deep voice made her heart beat a little faster. She got into a defensive position, switching her mind into battle mode. He circled around her, his dark eyes probing. Suddenly, he moved forward, his arm coming out to hit her across the back. She barely had time to duck down. He was like nothing she had ever fought before. His movements were quick and precise. She found she couldn't land a hit on him, though she had already taken two. Neither was hard enough to cause damage though she knew there would be a slight bruise. She struggled in defending herself, trying to anticipate his movements before he struck.

She noticed warily, that he seemed to be pushing her into a grove of trees. She fought on, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"You're annoying," his sudden comment startled her, giving him the opening he needed to push her against a nearby tree. He pinned her wrists up with one hand, his body trapping her in place.

She gasped at the body heat created by their two bodies. Her green eyes rose to meet his dark ebony gaze. He was so close, Sakura could feel his breath on her face. Her own breath caught in her throat. All thoughts flew out of her mind as his cold lips came into contact with her warm ones.

She gasped and he took this as an opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth, exploring it fully. Sakura fought back a whine but was unsuccessful. Hearing her whine seemed to send him over the edge. His free hand caressed her side, giving her goosebumps. His lips were surprisingly soft but fierce, dominating and passionate.

He growled huskily before moving away, leaving Sakura breathless and with slightly bruised lips.

**~Shikamaru and Ino~**

Shikamaru cursed under his breath, as he ducked down. 'Stupid female,' he thought trying to think up of a plan to somehow defeat the agile hybrid.

Ino smirked as she landed a light punch to his shoulder, her eyes shining with a teasing light, "You know that our little pack has been watching your group quite closely, don't you?"

He faltered for a minute at her question, wincing as her foot came in contact with his stomach. She tsked disapprovingly, giving him a flirtatious wink. He gave her a disbelieving look.

"It's true," the blonde female smiled at his skepticism, "When Hinata started showing an interest in that knuckle-headed blonde in your pack, we all realized something."

He smirked satisfactorily as his fist came in soft contact with the blonde's thigh, "And what would that be?"

She winced and the smirk vanished, but she pushed on, "That we technically are more werewolf than vampire…duh! Our feelings tend to take over us at times. We have a heartbeat, blood, and an ability to phase into giant wolves. So the rest of us decided that if we ever picked a mate, it would have to totally be a werewolf. It couldn't be a fellow hybrid since we're all like family. Since Hinata had already picked her own hunk, each of us also chose someone to keep a close eye on. Neji chose that chick with the buns, while Sasuke chose forehead. Care to guess what my choice was, Shika-kun?"

Shikamaru's mind was whirling. 'These hybrids have been watching us for some time? How is that possible?' He also couldn't hide the blush that was forming on his cheeks at the nickname Ino had given him and the suggestive question she had posed to him. The logical part of his mind told him that what the blonde was saying made sense. They did seem more werewolf than vampire. So it would only make sense if they sought out werewolf mates.

He grunted as she landed another blow to his shoulder, "What if we hadn't chosen Sakura and Tenten to come with us?"

Ino smiled widely, "Let's just say it's lucky you did."

He grimaced, finally coming up with a plan to outsmart the blonde hybrid. He made a feint to the right, and then turned to the left, catching her off-guard. One arm was across her neck, while the other held her to him.

"Oh, I believe you just won, Shika-kun," she turned her head slightly, giving him a heated stare. Shikamaru felt himself flush and become way too warm. He quickly moved away, leaving Ino laughing loudly, her high-pitched voice sounding sweetly in the genius' ears.

**~Afterward~**

Hinata and Naruto joined the others, both smiling and a little out of breath. Naruto was immensely proud. Hinata had praised him, telling him he'd improved greatly from their first match to the last. He had also succeeded in stealing a few kisses now and again, much to Hinata's embarrassment and pleasure. Naruto notice with amusement that the others also seemed a little too happy. Especially the hybrids.

Neji was smirking widely, his pale lilac eyes shining proudly. His hair seemed a little bit messier than when the dark-haired hybrid had arrived. He stood next to a flushing and glaring Tenten, whose hair seemed a little too messy for just having been training. She seemed to be trying to ignore him, though her gaze kept flitting back over to the Hyuga male.

Sasuke stood bored though his intense dark eyes kept glancing over to the pink-haired werewolf, whose lips, Naruto noticed, were a bit bruised. Sakura was strangely quiet, her hand repeatedly coming up to brush her lips. She kept her green gaze on the ground and Naruto could see that her cheeks were a light pink.

Shikamaru was flushed, his cheeks a bright red. Ino was on his back, nuzzling into his neck and giggling when he told her to stop. The genius made no move to shake her off, though Naruto couldn't be sure if he was too lazy to or if he was secretly enjoying it.

"I think that was enough for tonight," Hinata's gaze was warm and approving, though a knowing glint could be seen by the hybrids. The hybrids all smiled, or smirked in Neji's and Sasuke's case, at the raven-haired woman, "We won't be able to meet until next week since the vampires seem to be getting a little suspicious that I've been disappearing for three nights straight."

Naruto nodded, "I think Tsunade is starting to get suspicious too."

"We'll meet back here in a week, at the night of the new moon," Hinata looked at all the gathered members, each giving her a small nod of agreement.

"Until then," with those words, the hybrids shifted into wolves and disappeared into the shadows, leaving behind the werewolf pack looking off after them.


	11. Anger Management

"I can't believe that stupid, arrogant, conceited jerk! He kissed me, not once, but three times! GAHHHH! I HATE YOU NEJI HYUGA! BURN IN HELL!"

Naruto winced at Tenten's outburst, trying to get rid of the ringing in his ears. Sakura mirrored his expression. Tenten rarely swore so it was kind of disconcerting when she cursed. 'She must be really angry,' Naruto thought grimly.

The pack was gathered in Naruto's bunkhouse, thoroughly drained from their sparring session last night and their training sessions with Tsunade that day. They had just finished having dinner and had gathered to talk about their individual sparring sessions, not having had a chance to do so before.

"The Uchiha kissed me too, though only once," Sakura's face had turned the same color as her hair. Naruto shifted uncomfortably. While Tenten had expressed her utter distaste for the Hyuga male, Naruto found no disgust in kissing the Hyuga male's very attractive cousin. In fact, he rather enjoyed it. Sakura didn't seem as disgusted either.

The door opened and Shikamaru entered, his expression not the least bit surprised at seeing everyone in their room, though he looked a little annoyed.

Naruto grinned, waving his arm, "Shikamaru, there you are!"

Shikamaru raised a hand in greeting, not replying Naruto's enthusiastic welcome, "I've got something to say that Ino told me last night." He wasted no time in pleasantries, opting to go right down to business. All eyes turned toward the reclining lazy bum, watching him intently.

"It seems that our hybrid friends have been watching us for some time now," he said with a hint of amusement in his voice, "And they've claimed us as their future mates."

Shocked yells and protests sounded out, drowning out Shikamaru's voice. The loudest were Tenten's.

After the noise had somewhat died down, Shikamaru continued to explain, "Ino said that when Hinata began watching Naruto, each of the hybrids realized that they were more werewolf than vampire. Therefore, they would need to either find werewolf mates or find another hybrid. And I'm guessing they chose the first option. Neji Hyuga seems to have chosen Tenten, Sasuke Uchiha chose Sakura, Hinata-san chose Naruto and…Ino chose me," Shikamaru looked around at his friends' expressions.

Tenten looked about ready to kill someone, more specifically a male Hyuga hybrid; Sakura seemed to be on the verge of fainting, her cheeks flushed a dark pink; and Naruto seemed as if he would get up and do a victory dance, his grin stretching from ear to ear.

Tenten groaned, "I'm nobody's property, especially that arrogant jerk's. Now can we please stop talking about this subject? It's giving me a headache."

The others nodded, not wanting to make Tenten uncomfortable. Tenten had been orphaned when she was a pup and had a hard time forming relationships with others. It had been hard to form a friendship with her and get her to open up to them, and Naruto wondered how Neji would pull the whole mate thing off.

"Actually Naruto, there was something I wanted to ask you," the pink-haired woman turned to Naruto, curiosity clear in her eyes, "Hinata is the wolf that rescued you right?"

Naruto nodded, one eyebrow lifting up in confusion.

"So, is there any way that she could tell me about that ointment and liquid she used to heal you?"

Naruto felt his cheeks begin to grow warm, "NO!"

Sakura looked at him, confusion and hurt in her green gaze.

"No. I, uh, I can tell you what she used," Sakura looked at him, her expression eager, "She, uh, she used her own spit….like, she licked at the wound and suddenly it started closing up. As for the liquid that got my strength back, she used her own blood. She cut her arm, then swallowed the blood and transferred it using…mouth to mouth."

Sakura's mouth hung open, her green eyes wide. Tenten looked mildly disgusted though a curious glimmer still shone in her chocolate brown eyes. Shikamaru was smirking at Naruto, chuckling to himself.

"That would technically make sense. Vampires lick their victim's neck after biting them, either to save the victim from bleeding to death or to make it so there is no evidence of a vampire attack," Shikamaru explained with a bored expression though his voice held a hint of amusement.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the gathered werewolves.

"So, did anything romantic happen to you, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru's eye twitched, "No."

Naruto stuck his tongue out at the lazy werewolf. Sakura rolled her eyes while Tenten clenched her fists, "Would you please stop bringing it up, Naruto?"

Naruto shut his mouth, finally noticing the murderous intent coming off of their bun-haired friend.

"Maybe now is a good time to go to our bunk, right Tenten?"

The female took a deep breath, nodding tersely, her mood still sullen.

"Good night guys!"

The two men made themselves comfortable in their beds when the females had left. Both groups of werewolves instantly fell asleep, their dreams revolving around their hybrid counterparts.

~AS FOR THE HYBRIDS~

Neji sneezed suddenly, startling Hinata who was quietly reading.

"Are you all right, Neji-nii-san?"

Neji nodded, going back to his meditation as if nothing had happened.

Ino giggled, giving Neji a wink, "Ooh, looks like someone is talking about you, Neji!"

Both Neji and Sasuke raised one eyebrow, their expressions blank. Even Hinata looked mildly confused.

Ino rolled her eyes, "You guys don't know that old saying?"

"Obviously not," Neji said in a monotone, his eyes sliding shut in an effort to focus on his concentration.

"Well, they say when you sneeze, it's because someone is talking about you," Ino chirped, going back to painting her nails. Neji opened his eyes and gave the blonde an icy glare, obviously not pleased.

Hinata laughed softly before going back to her reading, "Only you would know something like that, Ino."

Sasuke mumbled something about his brother, Itachi, needing help with wedding plans before getting up and making his way out of the door.

Neji went back to his meditating, knowing if he didn't, he'd probably soon have a serious migraine.


	12. Celebrations

Naruto thought the week would never end. He was somewhat frightened by the immense feeling of emptiness he felt at not being able to see Hinata. He hadn't even known her long and already she was a humongous part of his life. He'd often scoffed at some of the werewolf girls who claimed to have experienced love at first sight. But it seemed that now he was experiencing it first-hand. And he felt like an utterly, hopeless, idiotic fool. 'Damn, I sound like those corny romance novels,' he thought with a wince.

But he couldn't deny the fact that all his thoughts revolved around the Hyuga female, and that his mood seemed to be worsening with each day not spent in her wonderful presence. He had even snapped at Shikamaru when the genius asked if he was all right.

He had apologized later of course.

Tenten seemed to be in an even worse mood than him. She often muttered under her breath about perverted hybrids and stupid Hyugas. Her mood took a turn for the worse though, when Shikamaru had commented that if she was so angry about Neji kissing her, she should have stopped him. She had flushed a beet red at his statement, causing the genius to smirk knowingly. Needless to say, Tenten was not on speaking terms with the Nara.

The day before the night of the new moon was torture for Naruto. It seemed that the time wouldn't go fast enough. The day dragged on and on. Naruto almost whooped in delight when Tsunade dismissed them. He could barely sit still while he waited for night to fall.

"Naruto, could you please stop fidgeting? You're driving me insane…"

"Sorry, Shikamaru, I'm just so excited!"

"Idiot…"

"WHAT'D YOU CALL ME?"

"Nothing," the Nara sighed, going toward the door.

Naruto humphed, following the dark-haired man outside. They met Sakura and Tenten at the secret entrance, each slipping through into the forest. Phasing, Naruto made his way to the front, running as fast as he could go. The others followed, hurrying to keep up with the speeding gold wolf.

Naruto burst into the clearing, leaves sticking out of his golden pelt.

"Naruto-kun!"

Naruto felt his heart skip a beat before he raced toward Hinata, his bushy tail wagging. He jumped, phasing mid-jump, and landed on the Hyuga female, who gave a surprised gasp.

"Hinata-chan!"

He snuggled into her neck, making the young woman blush and giggle, "I missed you."

"It's only been a week, Naruto-kun," she smiled, her Hyuga eyes shining brightly.

"Too long," he muttered, pouting slightly. She laughed, her melodic voice softly echoing around the clearing. Naruto smiled, loving the sound. He bent his head down, giving her a quick peck on the lips. She blushed, her cheeks turning a rosy pink at the public display of affection.

The others had phased as well, coming forward a bit more reluctantly. As soon as Ino saw Shikamaru, she rushed towards him, throwing herself on him. He was forced to either catch her or end up on the ground with the blonde on top of him. He chose the first option. The blonde fell easily into his embrace, her face snuggling into his chest. He flushed as all kinds of unclean thoughts flashed through his mind. He shook his head, trying to clear it.

"HYUGA!"

Neji lifted an eyebrow while all the others winced at the angry tone in Tenten's voice. The bun-haired she-wolf grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer to her till their faces were almost touching.

Her eyes were two dark flames, "You arrogant prick, when the hell did you decide that I would even THINK of becoming your mate?"

Neji's eyes widened briefly, surprise flashing in his lavender orbs before he turned to Ino and gave her a death glare. The blonde hybrid smiled sheepishly, pressing herself tightly against an uncomfortable Shikamaru.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, Hyuga!"

That turned out to be a mistake. Neji felt his body heat up when their eyes met. Her chocolate-brown eyes flashed with barely suppressed anger. Her very-kissable lips, in his opinion anyway, were turned down into a frown. He found out that he enjoyed seeing her angry. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she was yelling at him but he couldn't really hear what she was saying. He just watched her, absorbed by the way her lips moved and the way her eyes flashed. His control snapped and he found himself bending down to capture her lips in his.

All at once, the hands that had been grasping his shirt in anger began to pull him closer. His hands came to rest at her waist. He smirked against her lips as he realized she was responding. Quite passionately, in fact. He pulled her even closer, relishing in the feel of her body against his.

All too soon, Neji broke the kiss for need of air. Tenten had a glazed look in her chocolate-brown eyes, her chest rising and falling with her heavy breathing. She blinked rapidly, before realizing what had just happened.

She pushed him away, sputtering angrily, though Neji couldn't help but notice the slight blush adorning her cheeks.

Naruto laughed out loud, which earned him a smack in the head from the flustered Tenten. Sakura chuckled softly, giving Tenten a knowing smile. 'As much as she tries to hide it, she likes Neji,' the pink haired girl was so lost in her own thoughts, she didn't notice Sasuke come up behind her until he put his arms around her waist. Sakura jumped at the sudden contact.

"Hey," he breathed in her ear, causing her to shiver.

"Uchiha-san," she felt her cheeks grow hot, her body instantly melting into his embrace. He frowned slightly, a slight downward twitch of his lips.

"Call me Sasuke," he smirked as her cheeks reddened even more. She said nothing but nodded that she understood. He buried his face in her shoulder, breathing in her scent.

"Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you guys," Shikamaru spoke up breaking the awkward silence. The hybrids nodded, listening attentively.

He folded his arms, a stern frown on his face, "It seems that some of our lookouts said there was an increase in vampire activity. Mind explaining?"

At first, the hybrids looked confused. Sasuke was the first to understand but was soon followed by the others.

"Hn," Sasuke looked pointedly at Ino, instructing her to explain.

"Itachi, Sasuke's brother, is getting married," she giggled happily, her sky-blue eyes shining. The werewolves' mouths dropped open in surprise.

Naruto gasped, "Itachi Uchiha is your BROTHER?!"

Sakura blinked in surprise, "Itachi Uchiha is getting married?!"

Naruto got a smack on the head for his dumb question courtesy of Shikamaru. The Uchiha's had the same last name and similar features. Only an idiot wouldn't guess that they were related.

'Oh, right,' Shikamaru thought looking at the whining blonde, who was asking Hinata to kiss it better, 'Naruto is an idiot.'

"Who's the unlucky bride?"

Ino rolled her eyes but answered Tenten's question, "Kana Satsuki, 24 years-old. She's a sort of half-angel or something of the sort. Anyway, seems like Itachi found her in the forest a year or so ago. She had been attacked by a pack of demons. He took her back with him and healed her. The two have been inseparable since. She's really pretty. Could give Hinata a run for her money. Really sweet too. Though she doesn't talk much. The only downside is that she's blind. Poor thing can't see anything."

Shikamaru humphed, "How come he's not in our meeting if he's a hybrid?"

"To answer your question, Shikamaru, Itachi is not part of our meeting because he is one of the vampire lords," Neji answered the Nara genius.

"The other lords being my daddy, Hinata's stick-up-his-butt father and Neji's uncle, that lazy bum Kakashi Hatake, and that red-head Gaara," Ino recited, though most of the people there already knew this.

"In other words, the mastermind behind all of this would instantly know of our plans if Itachi were to be invited," Hinata's voice was serious, a sad look in her eyes.

"Hn, actually," the Uchiha spoke up quietly after another pause in the conversation, "Itachi told me his name."

"WHAT?!"

The Uchiha winced at the sound of all the voices yelling together. He waited until they'd all calmed down and were staring at him. Naruto was the first to break the silence, "Well, what is it?"

Sasuke looked at each of his comrades before continuing, "His name is Orochimaru."


	13. Games

"Well, that's a lame name," Naruto said after a few minutes of silence.

Hinata burst into giggles at the sudden insult, quickly followed by Ino. The rest of the pack soon joined in, while Naruto stood looking confused.

"A name doesn't really mean anything. It still doesn't tells us what we're dealing with," Shikamaru shifted uncomfortably again, though he was almost getting used to the extra weight on his lap.

"We'll try to see if we can find out more," Hinata reassured the brooding Nara. Shikamaru grunted, though he looked slightly less grumpy.

"Still, you'd best be on your guard. This Orochimaru is unpredictable. He can order us to go to battle at any moment," Neji's tone was serious, his eyes dark with worry. The others nodded, their mood dampening again.

"I know," Hinata suddenly spoke out, "Why don't we play a game? To relieve the pressure and get to know each other better?"

The men looked a bit skeptical, but hesitantly nodded. Ino seemed the most excited, while Tenten looked as if she was going to pulverize something. Sasuke and Neji looked as passive as usual. Shikamaru looked plain bored, while Naruto looked ready to burst from so much excitement.

Ino clapped her hands, "Oh, let's play 'I have never'! I like that game!"

Naruto cocked his head, "How do you play?"

"Well, everyone starts out with ten fingers. Then the person whose turn it is says something they've never done before. Whoever has done that has to put down a finger. We go on until only one person with their fingers up remains," Ino explained eagerly.

Naruto nodded, still a bit confused.

Hinata spared the blonde boy a headache, "Here, I'll go first to show you how it's done. Okay, I have never…uhm, oh, I have never been skinny-dipping."

Ino swore, putting down one finger. Sakura also put one down, along with Tenten. Neji and Sasuke raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Naruto snickered but was soon silence by one of Sakura's fists.

Ino was next, "I have not made-out with anyone before! Hah!"

Hinata blushed but put down a finger, Tenten glared at Neji before putting down one of her own. Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, and Shikamaru all put one down as well.

"Shika-kun?"

"What, troublesome woman?"

"You've made-out with someone before?"

Shikamaru winced at the hurt in the blonde's voice, "My ex-girlfriend, Temari."

Ino brightened up slightly at the mention of 'ex'.

The game went on. It seemed that both Sasuke and Neji had gone a whole day without talking once (no surprise there), Sakura and Hinata had seen a naked guy before (Hinata had fainted), Tenten had found herself sleepwalking, and Shikamaru and Ino had both gotten irregular stomach problems from eating too many bananas.

In the end, Hinata won though no one was really surprised. By the end of the game, the mood had become much more relaxed. Naruto collapsed against Hinata, tired from laughing. Hinata smiled, messing with his unruly blonde hair. Ino leaned into Shikamaru, snuggling into his chest. He smiled ruefully, draping his arms around her frame. Sasuke lay down by Sakura, both looking up at the stars. Sakura would point out constellations she knew while he would just smirk and nod, once in a while pointing out some he knew. Neji had apologized to Tenten about kissing her, though his expression was anything but repentant. She had forgiven him, blushing madly when he sat next to her. They had started talking about weapons, a common interest they both shared and soon were in their own little world.

A calm, peaceful atmosphere descended on the group. Soon all of them had fallen asleep. None of them noticed that the sky was getting lighter.

Naruto woke up first, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He smiled when he realized Hinata was tucked against him, peacefully asleep. Naruto shielded his eyes from the rising sun, feeling a bit angry at the sun for having woken him up from such a nice sleep.

'Wait, SUN?'

He jumped up, dislodging Hinata, "NANI?! GUYS, WAKE UP! WE OVERSLEPT!"

Groggily, everyone came to. Ino sat up from her comfortable spot on Shikamaru's chest, the said genius sitting up along with her. Sakura glared at Naruto for being so loud in the morning. Sasuke ran a hand through his messy black hair, also glaring at the idiotic blonde. Tenten was blushing since she had somehow fallen asleep on the Hyuga genius. Neji was smirking, pure delight shining in his eyes. Hinata looked up with a half-asleep expression, looking confused.

"GUYS, IT'S ALREADY MORNING!"

That got everyone's attention. There was a wild scrambling as each of them tried to disentangle themselves from their "future" mates. There was a lot of tripping and awkward situations but they somehow ordered themselves into their correct groups.

"Tomorrow night?"

The werewolves nodded their assent. With that, the two groups parted ways, each going to their respective villages.


	14. Battle

"Where have the three of you been? You've been constantly disappearing for the last month, or so the guards tell me."

Naruto shivered at the threatening tone in Tsunade's even voice. He fidgeted slightly, sweat running down his back, "We..uh…we…we…"

"We've been going out for a friendly runs, Tsunada-sama," Sakura smoothly lied, giving Naruto a hard look, "All this stress has been killing us and we felt like runs around the forest would help, both with the stress and with comradeship."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes in suspicion, "For the whole night?"

All four pack members nodded quickly. Tsunade was still frowning suspiciously. She sighed and dismissed them with a wave of her hand. The four stumbled over themselves, trying to get out the door fast enough.

"That was a close one," Tenten sighed in relief, smiling slightly. The others nodded, relief also evident on their faces. Their secret was still safe. They had been meeting their hybrid friends for over a month now, both for training and for hanging out. It was tiring but at the same time exhilarating.

All of a sudden, the peace was shattered by an ear-splitting howl.

Tenten started, a worried frown on her face, "That's the signal!"

Naruto's mouth hung open, "The vampires are attacking?!"

The four looked at each other in shocked horror. Werewolf warriors surged around them, quickly making their way out of the village.

"What are you four standing around for? Let's go!"

At Jiraiya's shout, the four werewolves quickly snapped back to the present, grim expressions on their faces. They phased as they got out into the forest. Following the rest of the pack, they came out of the forest and made their way up a small hill. Looking down, they saw a mass of swirling bodies. Vampire and werewolf were mixed together, blood and body parts covering the ground.

They rushed down, determined to help their pack. Naruto flung a vampire off of Kiba Inuzuka, who nodded in gratitude. Tenten rushed off to help Temari. Sakura soon began fighting with a vampire, her fangs glinting in the sunlight. Shikamaru ripped out a vampire's heart, his growl ferocious.

Everywhere he turned, Naruto saw and smelled blood. The ground was stained red with the sticky liquid, and glittered strangely in the morning light. The metallic tang was everywhere, on him, his teammates, the ground, everywhere. A werewolf he didn't know lay dying on the floor, his throat ripped out. Vampire pieces littered the ground.

Naruto felt bile rise in his throat. 'Why does this have to happen? Why can't we get along?'

Naruto felt someone push him, startling him out of his thoughts. Sakura gave him a hard look. He nodded, shaking his fur out. He jumped back into the battle, beheading a vampire as he passed. He would let someone else finish the job.

He felt a stinging pain on his shoulder and looked down. Claw marks were visible on his golden pelt. He growled, staring down at his attacker. The vampire licked the blood from his claws then hissed at him. Naruto lunged towards him, aiming for the head. And then he stopped his attack, landing clumsily. The vampire had been about to rake his claws down Naruto's muzzle but missed. 'Don't go for the obvious kill,' he heard Hinata's soft voice in his head. He turned his body, focusing on what Hinata had taught him. 'Aim for the legs,' he heard her clear voice again, in his memory.

He made as if to attack the vampire's head again, only to duck down and rip off one of his legs. The vampire hissed angrily as he fell on the floor giving Naruto the chance he needed to rip out the bloodsucker's heart. He continued to fight on, the faces of his enemies blurring together. He let the wolf take over him, guiding him.

His concentration was broken by a scream and then a loud "NO!"

He snapped out of survival mode. He knew that voice. His mind struggled to place it, working sluggishly. Then it clicked.

'Ino!'

He ran towards where he had heard the sound, pushing past the writhing bodies of both foe and friend. He stopped a few feet from where the hybrid knelt. She hovered over a dark body, tears flowing down her face. Naruto felt his blood run cold as he recognized the dark spiky pelt.

Lying on the ground, unmoving, was Shikamaru.


	15. Reasons

Ino looked up, her eyes wide with anguish. Naruto shivered as her eyes turned icy cold, the hate clear in her blue eyes. Naruto shifted in fear, though she was not even looking at him. Her attention was on someone to her right, a vampire female with flaming red hair. She looked afraid as Ino suddenly vanished. Naruto blinked his eyes and she was behind the vampire woman. Faster than Naruto thought was possible, Ino's hand had whipped out and ran through the vampire's chest. The blonde woman pulled her hand back towards her, pushing the woman forward. In her hand lay a glittering crystallized heart. With no hesitation whatsoever, Ino crushed the crystal object in the palm of her hand.

Naruto shuddered at the ruthless look in Ino's eyes. Naruto's attention drifted back to Shikamaru. He let out a sigh of relief as the wolf shifted, letting out a pain-filled whine. Ino was by his side in less than a second. She brushed his fur with her hand, whispering soft cooing words in his ear.

All at once, the air was filled with hissing sounds, "RETREAT!"

The vampires moved as one, running from the battlefield. Soon, only the werewolves remained. All except Ino, who continued to brush Shikamaru's fur with her hand.

Tsunade bounded up to them, the rest of the pack making a wide circle around the wolf and vampire. The she-wolf shifted into human form, an angry expression on her face. Naruto shifted back as well, moving to stand protectively in front of Ino and Shikamaru. Sakura and Tenten soon joined him.

"Naruto, what is the meaning of this?"

Naruto flinched at the cold tone in Tsunade's voice but stood firm.

"Tsunade-sama, we know this vampire. She won't hurt Shikamaru," Sakura said softly, a pleading tone in her voice.

Tsunade clenched her fists, her brown eyes flashing dangerously, "You three will explain to me EXACTLY what is going on when we get back."

The three nodded, their expressions grim. It seemed that their joy at keeping the meetings a secret would be short-lived.

"Now, you. Leave," Tsunade's voice was cold and hard. Ino looked up slowly, her face impassive.

"No," she said firmly, a flash of stubbornness shining in her eyes. Tsunade narrowed her eyes, her jaw tight.

"Ino, you have to go," Shikamaru had phased back into human form, wincing from the pain, "It's not that bad. Only a broken arm and maybe a few broken ribs."

"I'M NOT LEAVING YOU, SHIKAMARU, UNTIL I KNOW FOR SURE THAT YOU'RE ALL RIGHT!"

Ino's voice cracked slightly at the last part and she broke down into sobs, "I…I…c-c-could…have l-l-lost you…"

Shikamaru's face softened, his dark eyes warm with feeling. He lifted up one of his hands, brushing away Ino's tears.

"You really are troublesome," he said warmly before lifting up his head and giving her a peck on the lips. Ino gasped in surprise, fresh tears making their way into her eyes.

"Tsunade-sama, please allow her to accompany us. She doesn't mean any harm," Shikamaru's dark eyes were probing, pleading with his leader to at least consider.

Tsunade turned away angrily, "Jiraiya, get a gurney to put Shikamaru on. Kiba, Temari, you'll watch over our prisoner."

Ino's eyebrows slanted down, "Can I still stay with Shika-kun?"

Tsunade growled in disgust, nodding tersely. Ino looked relieved, though now a bit cautious. Naruto helped Jiraiya lift Shikamaru onto the gurney, being careful not to jostle the poor werewolf. Ino held his hand as they walked, her expression worried.

Temari looked about ready to cut out the blonde's heart and eat it. Kiba looked mildly curious, his dark eyes watching the blonde carefully. Naruto carefully made his way next to Ino, bumping her shoulder.

"I thought you said the vampires weren't likely to attack because of the wedding," he whispered low enough so she could hear but so that the others couldn't.

"That's what we thought too," Ino turned her gaze to him, anguish and pain in their sky-blue depths, "But something terrible has happened."

Naruto listened intently, his curiosity piqued. A sense of dread started forming in the pit of his stomach at the look of pity that crossed Ino's face.

"What is it, Ino? What happened?"

Naruto could tell Shikamaru was also following the conversation as she replied.

"Naruto, he's…he's got Hinata," the blonde whispered sadly, "The vampires may not particularly like her, but she's become a bit of a celebrity. Her record is spotless. She's our fiercest fighter. The reason we came out to fight today was because that bastard said he would kill her if we didn't. He also somehow managed to get a hold of Kana and Matsuri, Gaara's fiancée."

Naruto wasn't listening any longer. His thoughts revolved around Hinata. 'Hinata-chan is in danger. They're going to kill her,' he felt a sob climbing it's way up his throat.

"Neji is trying to think up of a plan, but he won't dare risk Hinata's life," Ino went on, still in the same whispered tone, "Gaara and Itachi are getting angrier by the minute. We think there will be a revolution soon enough. And we need the werewolves to help."

Naruto nodded dumbly, no longer following the conversation. Shikamaru noticed his expression and brushed his hand on Naruto's arm, his eyes reassuring.

"Naruto, she'll be okay," Shikamaru whispered to him, "Ino said she was their fiercest fighter, didn't she?"

Naruto nodded but inside he felt cold, 'Hinata-chan, Hinata-chan, he has her.'

Naruto felt the cold feeling turn hot as it melted into boiling anger. He would rip this Orochimaru into pieces.

He would make sure Hinata was alright.

Naruto decided at that moment that he would rescue her.


	16. Explanations

Tsunade gave them all a hard stare, "What in the world is going on around here?"

Ino stepped up toward the pack leader, head held high. Shikamaru sat in the corner, his arm in a splint. Naruto, Sakura, and Tenten fidgeted slightly.

"Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya-sama, I'm here on behalf of my friends and pack members," all the werewolves started at the serious tone of Ino's voice, "We need your help."

Tsunade bristled, lips drawn back in a snarl, "Oh, and you expect me to give it after today's battle?"

"There is more at work here than you realize, Tsunade-sama," Shikamaru spoke up from his corner, "Tell them, Ino."

"There is someone else pulling the strings. Someone else is controlling the vampires. We know nothing about him, except for his name," Ino began, her voice sounding tired, "He has blackmailed the Vampire Lords into doing his bidding. They are nothing more than pawns."

Tsunade folded her arms tightly, skepticism obvious, "And just where do you come into this?"

"I am a part of a small pack of hybrids, part-vampires and part-werewolves, who wish this war to be over and for peace to be established between our two nations. We are a small group of people who belong to both sides and yet neither," Ino held Tsunade's gaze, her blue eyes clear, "We have been working for some time on the issue but it has not turned out well. These four had agreed to help us after one of our own, Hinata, saved Naruto's life."

Tsunade and Jiraiya stood there, shocked at the information they were receiving, "But what about all those vampires we've been monitoring? They've been gathering by the hordes…"

"There was to be a wedding celebration. Itachi Uchiha was to be married this afternoon…But our…master…decided that a battle was in order. He threatened Itachi's bride so that the Uchiha would follow his orders," Ino ran a hand over her pale face, feeling tired, "He similarly did the same with Gaara's fiancée, Matsuri, and with Hinata Hyuuga, the heiress to the Hyuga clan. The Lords are planning a counter attack to save them…They've had enough of following orders. But they might not be able to defeat him alone. We could use help."

Tsuande sighed wearily, sharing a glance with Jiraiya, "Would you give us time to think on it?"

Ino nodded, slumping down into the corner by Shikamaru. He smiled proudly at her, bringing her in closer to him. She sighed contentedly, leaning her head on his unwounded shoulder. Tsunade had stepped out of the room, her expression focused.

Naruto watched all this, feeling a lump rise in his throat. Sakura put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?"

Both Naruto and Sakura turned toward Jiraiya, his question startling both of them. Naruto shrugged, not trusting himself to speak. Sakura continued to pat his shoulder, hoping to provide some comfort.

Jiraiya gave him a sad smile, ruffling his hair, "You like this Hinata chick?"

Naruto glared at the white-haired man, "She's not a 'CHICK', Pervy Sage. She's…she's…Hinata-chan."

The white-haired man said nothing, looking at Naruto with intense black eyes, urging him to explain further.

Naruto's lip trembled but he pressed on, "Pervy Sage, is it normal to feel this strongly about someone you just met only weeks ago?"

Jiraiya seemed to think over his question thoughtfully, a strange occurrence if you personally knew the outspoken, perverted man, "Naruto, do you know how we werewolves pick our mates?"

Naruto looked at Jiraiya strangely, shaking his head a bit hesitantly. Sakura and Tenten also looked mildly interested.

"I figured you wouldn't…It was something that was taught to young werewolves so they could prepare themselves for the day when they would find their mates. But now all that is taught to your age group is how to fight…"

Naruto could detect the bitter tone in Jiraiya's voice. Even the easy-going Jiraiya was sick of this pointless war. After a brief moment of silence, Jiraiya began.

"As you well know, we have two forms. Our human form and our wolf form. No one knows anything about how we came to be around…we just are. Our human selves feel emotions…the one you want to know about is love. Well, for humans, it's fairly easy to fall in 'love'; they do it all the time. Then, if it doesn't work, they separate and hopefully never see each other again. There are some lucky ones who guess right as to who their 'true love' is."

Naruto listened intently and could tell the others were as well.

"But for wolves, they take one mate and one mate only. They realize who the best match for them is and follow their instincts. The only reason they would have to pick a new mate is if their current one dies. And even then, some wolves stay alone. When they become mates, it's for life. You could say it isn't exactly love…more like a partnership," Jiraiya paused, letting the information sink in.

"When we mix the two together, we get us. The wolf side of us finds a woman who is best matched for our needs. The best match to make us happy and bear our children. In turn, the wolf ends up affecting the human side of us and we find ourselves falling in love with the one that our wolf form deems worthy. The wolf in us seems to sense who we are supposed to be with, the one who we need. One side affects the other. In a sense, our two feelings put together are stronger than anything felt by anyone or anything."

Naruto was awestruck. He had never heard something like this before. He could tell from Sakura, Shikamaru, and Tenten's shocked expressions that they hadn't either. Only Ino looked unaffected, smiling slightly.

"Well then, I think my wolf is malfunctioning because there is no way in HELL that Neji Hyuga is my 'best match' nor my 'soul mate' or any other sissy crap," Tenten muttered crossly, though Naruto could see a light pink dusting on her cheeks. Jiraiya froze for a moment.

Naruto thought Jiraiya's eyes would pop out of his head, "Did you just say Neji Hyuga?"

Tenten blushed, biting her lip nervously. The bun-haired female hoped she hadn't put the Hyuga's life in danger. Even if she thought he was an emotionless stick-in-the-mud, she'd never want any harm to befall him.

"Neji Hyuga is in our pack, along with Hinata Hyuga, Sasuke Uchiha, and myself. Although Itachi Uchiha is also a hybrid, he isn't included in our plans since he is one of the vampire lords," Ino smiled deviously, "The wolves in us have already chosen who we must take as our companions. It took us a bit longer to figure it out though because of our vampire blood. Vampires are known to be more solitary, not really needing a mate at all,"

"I see…," Jiraiya was looking at the four gathered there, "So, Naruto and Hinata, you and Shikamaru, Neji Hyuga and Tenten. That leaves Sasuke Uchiha with Sakura."

Naruto nodded, Shikamaru muttered a 'troublesome', Sakura flushed and Tenten punched the wall, leaving a dent in the stone.

"NEJI HYUGA, YOU PRICK! YOU'LL HAVE TO FIGHT FOR ME IF YOU WANT ME TO BECOME YOUR MATE, YOU EMOTIONLESS BASTARD!"

Jiraiya's eyes widened at hearing the otherwise calm she-wolf shouting, and on top of that swearing. Only Ino and Sakura saw the pink blush on the werewolf's tanned cheeks and that her statement was less venomous than it had been a few weeks back.

"I would refrain from speaking about Neji around Tenten, Jiraiya-sama. She's still a little…emotional…about the whole thing," Sakura whispered to the shocked older man. Jiraiya nodded, stifling a perverted laugh.

"If you guys are ready, I have made my decision," an annoyed Tsunade had come back in while they had been talking, "And I would prefer it if you didn't leave holes in my wall, Tenten."


	17. Signals

Tsunade stepped towards Ino, her expression focused. Shikamaru put a protective arm around the hybrid, looking up at his alpha with a determined expression, ready to protect her if need be.

"I have decided…that we will offer our help," Tsunade's voice was firm but there was a hint of a smile playing on her lips as the whole group visibly relaxed, "It might be a little difficult to convince some of the werewolves that you are speaking the truth but I believe I can manage."

Naruto could see that Tsunade would be willing to try anything to end the war. Even if it meant teaming up with vampires. For that he was grateful. 'Hang on Hinata,' he thought grimly, 'We're coming.'

Jiraiya clapped his hands together, "So, what's the plan?"

"I have to give the signal that you guys accepted our agreement," Ino smiled in relief, "Neji will then come to tell us the plan."

Tenten stiffened at the mention of the name, a blush automatically coloring her cheeks. Naruto found himself grinning. As much as Tenten tried to deny it, tried to hide it, everyone there could tell that she had obvious feelings for the Hyuga male. 'She's just being stubborn,' Naruto thought with a small chuckle.

Tsunade frowned slightly, "When will you send the signal?"

"I'll send it now, if that's alright with you guys," the blonde hybrid stood as Tsunade nodded.

"The sooner the better," their leader muttered under her breath. Ino made her way outside, followed by the others. Naruto helped Shikamaru stand and led him outside. Ino grinned at them before she phased. She shook out her fur when she was in her wolf form. Tsunade and Jiraiya looked awestruck. Ino's sky-blue eyes twinkled merrily at their reaction.

Ino then tipped back her head and let out a single, melodious howl. It was then followed by a loud bark and then another howl. A deep male howl answered back, though it was still afar off. Tenten's eyes seemed to glaze over, a dreamy expression on her face as the howl sounded out.

Ino turned back to them, phasing back into human form. She was grinning, her blue eyes sparkling with hope. She pecked Shikamaru on the cheek, taking over for Naruto.

"He'll be here as soon as the sun sets," she nodded toward Tsunade, helping Shikamaru back inside. Tsunade and Jiraiya followed, still looking a bit shocked. Naruto was about to when he noticed that Tenten wasn't following them.

"Tenten, aren't you gonna come inside?"

The bun haired werewolf shook her head, "I...ah, I want to take a quick bath. Just to wash off all this blood, yeah?"

Naruto struggled to hide a knowing smirk, knowing that wouldn't help Tenten get over her stubbornness and admit that she liked Neji. He only nodded then watched as she hurried away.

"She likes him," Sakura giggled from beside him. Naruto nodded, his ocean-blue eyes sparkling. Sakura looked like she was planning something devious. Jiraiya made his way back outside, coming up behind the two.

"Aren't you guys gonna come back inside? Hey, where's Tenten?"

"She went to take a bath…to wash off all the blood," Naruto chuckled knowingly, amused by his friend's antics at impressing the male hybrid when it was clear he only had eyes for her.

Jiraiya giggled, a perverted gleam in his eyes. He looked as if he'd seen a bunch of women in the bathhouse.

"You know Jiraiya, you really surprised us back there. You were really deep. I would have thought you'd say something…inappropriate," Sakura glanced up at the grinning white-haired man.

"Well, those really weren't my words. I just recited what my teacher told me when I was your age," he shrugged, looking embarrassed.

"But still, you didn't add any inappropriate comments or anything," Sakura persisted, proud that the white-haired pervert was serious for once in his life.

"Well, I wanted to…but I knew Tsunade was listening," he grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. Naruto found himself laughing while Sakura smacked the pervert on the head.

"I should have known," she muttered, making her way inside.

"Man, what is it with strong women hitting me? I told her the truth, didn't I? Besides, I'm a grown man; I'm entitled to think dirty thoughts. They should be used to it by now," Jiraiya grumbled, rubbing at his sore head.

Naruto shook his head, chuckling at his adopted father's antics. It was a surprise he turned out the way he did and not more like the pervert. Jiraiya ruffled his hair playfully.

"Pervy Sage, you're unbelievable," Naruto chuckled, "I'm still shocked that Tsunade-baa-chan even accepted your offer of becoming her mate. I'm positive that you're not good for her health. She's getting kinda old, you know...you should tone it down a bit. Wouldn't want to give her a heart attack."

Jiraiya feigned an innocent expression, "Why wouldn't she accept? I'm incredibly handsome. As for her getting old...well, she isn't sporting any wrinkles yet! When she does, then I'll start worrying."

"Whatever you say, Pervy Sage," Naruto rolled his eyes, exasperated but amused.

"I have to admit though, these hybrids are smoking hot! Man, if your Hinata is as hot as Ino, then you my son, are a very very lucky man!"

Naruto could only flush in embarrassment as Jiraiya continued to talk about the virtues of women…though mostly he talked about Tsunade's racks.

That is, until a very pissed off Tsunade came out and punched both himself and Jiraiya into the ground, making Naruto and Jiraiya-sized holes on the floor of their village.


	18. Visitor

"The sun's about to set, Neji should be here any minute..."

Tsunade nodded, her stance tense. The guards had already been informed that they were to let in the Hyuga hybrid. It was easy to tell from their expressions that they didn't like the idea much, but they would go along with it since it was a direct order from their leader.

Naruto ran a hand through his hair again, slightly nervous. He was anxious to hear the plan and go rescue Hinata. Every minute they waited would be a chance for Orochimaru to kill her. He shuddered, trying not to think about it.

He watched everyone mingle, though made no move to join in. Shikamaru was whispering something to Ino, to which the blonde nodded and giggled. Jiraiya was sulking in the corner, still upset about the bump on his head. Tsunade was visibly ignoring her whining mate. Sakura seemed to be staring off in to space, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. Tenten stood with her arms crossed in the corner, also sulking.

When Tenten had come back, bathed and clean, the pink-haired she-wolf had teased her thoroughly. The dark-haired she-wolf had not put up her hair into their traditional buns. Instead, she had left her hair down, cascading over her shoulders in chocolate-brown waves. Sakura had hinted at the possibility of the woman trying to impress a certain Hyuga to which Tenten flushed crimson and proceed to ignore Sakura and sulk in her corner of the room.

A knock at the door of the meetinghouse startled all those inside.

"Come in," Tsunade's voice rang firm and strong. The door opened and in stepped one of the guards, Iruka, and Neji. The hybrid looked somewhat annoyed and worried. Ino grinned at the hybrid and he visibly relaxed, his lips twisting up into a smirk.

"Good evening, Hyuga-san," Tsunade made no move towards the vampire, her eyes looking over the handsome hybrid. Neji nodded respectfully toward the werewolf leader.

"Your friend here says that you have a plan to end the war. We have agreed to help in any way possible," Tsunade wasn't one to beat around the bush. Neji smirked and nodded, his lilac eyes flashing with a glimmer of hope.

"In the past, it has always been the vampires who have engaged the werewolves in battle. We have always attacked first," Neji began, his deep voice echoing around the small room. He knew time was limited and wasn't one to waste it.

"You want us to attack first…Not a bad idea, Hyuga," Shikamaru finished before the Hyuga could, though Neji didn't look bothered in the least. The Hyuga nodded in agreement, smirking at the genius.

Tsunade was thinking it over, her lips pressed into a thin line. While the leader was thinking, Neji took the opportunity to look over at his "future" mate, his smirk widening as he saw she had left her hair down. Tenten flushed, instantly finding the ground very interesting.

"How would this work?"

Neji snapped his attention back to the blonde she-wolf, "You would make your way close to the vampire's keep. Surprisingly, there will be no vampires on watch around the border. There will be a 'battle', so to speak, and incidentally, some werewolves will break into the stronghold. "

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, "So, the vampire lords have decided to do something about it?"

"Kidnapping the Uchiha's bride, Gaara's fiancée and the Hyuga heiress was the last straw. The vampire lords have also agreed to the plan. They said they will do whatever it takes to kill the kidnapper," Neji said, answering the Nara's question.

"Is Hinata-chan alright? How did he take her?"

"Naruto…not now…," Naruto bit his lip, tears threatening to spill over. Tsunade looked sorry to have reprimanded him but she knew they would have to focus.

"How do we know this isn't some sort of trap? The vampires could ambush us as soon as we go in," Iruka spoke up from the corner. Most of them started, forgetting he was still there. Tsunade looked uncomfortable at the suggestion. Neji looked downright furious, his lilac eyes darkening in anger.

"We might be a lot of things, but when vampires give their word, they keep it," he hissed at the guard, his tone icy cold. Iruka paled, nodding hesitantly.

"Besides, we outnumber the vampires two to one, don't we?"

Iruka said nothing, flushing in embarrassment as Shikamaru pointed out the fact. Tsunade was lost in thought, her eyebrows furrowed. Tenten stepped up to the fuming Hyuga, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. He instantly relaxed under her touch, giving her a small grateful smile. She returned the smile shyly, almost hesitantly.

"You have our word that we will help," Tsunade said after a few more minutes, "I will speak to my people at once. When do you plan to put this plan into action?"

"As soon as possible," Neji replied, his tone serious.

Tsunade thought for a few minutes, "Does tomorrow night sound good?"

Neji nodded, relief showing in his lilac orbs. Tsunade smiled slightly before moving to make her way outside.

Ino bit her lip and called out to the alpha leader, "Do you want us to go with you?"

Tsunade shook her head, "Don't worry, I can handle them."

And with that Tsunade made her way out, closely followed by Jiraiya and Iruka. Neji relaxed, his shoulders sagging in relief. He smirked slightly before pulling Tenten in, capturing her lips with his. She eagerly responded, her arms coming up to his neck, pulling him closer, much to the surprise of her friends.

"And here I thought you hated me," Neji chuckled when they broke apart. Tenten flushed a deep crimson, though she made no move to disentangle herself from him.

She looked him once over, frowning, "You didn't get hurt in the fight, did you?"

"I can assure you, I'm quite all right," Neji murmured softly, seeing the worry in her brown eyes. She smiled in relief. Neji ran a hand through her hair, entranced.

"You left your hair down…It looks pretty…," he whispered in her ear. She nodded her thanks, her face still pink.

"Hey, Tenten, Where's all that tough talk about Neji having to fight for you?"

"SHUT UP, SAKURA!"

Sakura smiled at the flushed she-wolf. Neji raised one eyebrow before smirking once again.

"I don't mind…After all, anything you have to fight for is worth having," he whispered huskily into, a rather flushed Tenten's ear. Growling playfully, the she-wolf retaliated by grabbing the hybrid's shirt in her hands, pulling him even closer to her and passionately kissing him.

Naruto coughed once, his cheeks a bright pink, "Uh, Neji? Could I, uh, ask you something?"

The hybrid blinked his eyes, looking a bit dazed after breaking apart from a whining Tenten. He nodded, though his eyes were somewhat unfocused.

Naruto looked straight at the hybrid, his eyes unwavering, "Is Hinata-chan alright? How could you let her get kidnapped?"

At the mention of Hinata, everyone in the room grew serious. Neji ran a hand through his long hair, sighing.

"I don't know if she's fine or not, Naruto. I haven't seen her since she was taken. Orochimaru never does things himself…Kabuto, his right hand man, always does his dirty work," Neji's voice held a hint of his inner distress at not knowing about his younger cousin.

Ino looked down, "Hinata was with Kana and Matsuri. She was helping Kana pick out a wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses. I was supposed to go as well but I was late and couldn't make it on time. By the time I got there, the shopkeeper said that they had been taken. A note had been left with the shopkeeper for Itachi, Gaara, and Hiash. Then the signal sounded and everyone was rushing out to fight. I told Neji what had happened, who told Itachi, Gaara, and Hiashi. While we were on our way to the battle, Neji came up with the plan we told you guys, making sure to talk to the Vampire Lords."

Naruto looked from one hybrid to the other, his heart in his throat, "So, you don't know if Hinata-chan is still alive?"

Neji shook his head, his eyes pained. Tenten hugged him tightly. Ino buried her face in Shikamaru's chest while Shikamaru rubbed her back. Sakura looked pale, her green eyes wide.

Naruto found he couldn't speak past the lump in his throat. He swallowed heavily, feeling his eyes prick. Blinking rapidly, he found that he had started crying.

The only thing that ran through his mind as he continued to cry was the insane hope that Hinata-chan would be alright.


	19. Siege

Naruto crouched near the spacious vampire keep, nose twitching. The strong smell of vampires surrounded them from every side. Shikamaru stood next to Naruto, dark eyes flickering around quickly. Thanks to Tsunade's medical expertise and a werewolf's healing abilities, Shikamaru had soon recovered enough to join them on the raid. Ino wasn't happy, but Shikamaru wasn't one to sit out on a dangerous battle.

Most of the werewolf warriors were crouched alongside him, awaiting the signal. Naruto shifted again, anxious to get inside. Hinata was in there somewhere. It had been decided that he, along with Tenten, Sakura, and Shikamaru, would go with the hybrids, the vampire lords, and the pack leaders to confront Orochimaru.

Naruto felt a surge of excitement as he saw the signal, a flash of light from the third window on the second floor. Tsunade let out a long howl and the werewolf warriors moved as one. They poured out from their hiding spot, surging forward. As expected, the vampire army came out to meet them. To any outsider, it would have looked like a battle to the death.

But what they couldn't see was that the werewolves weren't really putting pressure into their bites. Or that the vampires slowed their fists down at the last second so the hit wouldn't even bruise.

Neji came through the writhing bodies, his eyes flashing. He signaled to them with his hand before phasing gracefully. Naruto followed the hybrid, accompanied by Tenten, Sakura, Shikamaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya. The door had been left unguarded and they passed through easily. Once inside, Naruto couldn't help but gape at the large interior. He was surprised that the atmosphere was so warm. Rich colors decorated the interior of the keep. A fireplace kept the place warm. Rugs of fine quality were spread out on the floor.

Neji growled low in his throat, before impatiently gesturing them to follow him up the stairs. They climbed the grand staircase, a determined pace in their step. They were soon joined by Ino, then Sasuke. The two gave a small nod of greeting before falling into step beside the werewolves.

Naruto couldn't help but notice that the higher they climbed, the colder it got. A cold feeling of dread entered his stomach.

'Whoever this Orochimaru guy is, he ain't got one ounce of good in his body,' Naruto shuddered but pressed forward. He noticed that crystal shards littered the staircase the more they climbed up. He realized with a start that they were vampires who had been taken apart.

'They were probably guards. But who took them out?'

Naruto got his answer as they emerged on the last floor. Before him stood the Vampire Lords, Itachi Uchiha, Hiashi Hyuga, Gaara of the Sand, and Inoichi Yamanaka. The werewolves phased back into human form, facing the Vampire Lords.

"I'm sorry that this meeting couldn't be held under better circumstances," Hiashi began, "But thank you for your help."

Tsunade and Jiraiya nodded, acknowledging the Hyuga leader. Itachi regarded them with his red eyes, though Naruto noted they looked dull. He reckoned his eyes had the same dullness to them. Itachi noticed his stare and nodded at his direction. Naruto returned the greeting. Gaara's eyes had the same dullness as well. He shifted, his head giving the red-head a tiny nod. They had all had their soulmates ripped away from them, their one reason for living.

Jiraiya shuffled his feet impatiently, "What are we waiting for?"

The Vampire Lords narrowed their eyes in irritation, though not at them.

"Kakashi," Itachi hissed out, annoyance clear in his tone.

"Yo, did someone say my name?"

The silver-haired vampire had suddenly appeared, startling the werewolves, "I had to help this old lady out and…"

"LIAR!"

Kakashi sweat-dropped as everyone hissed the word at him, "Sorry I'm late."

Itachi hissed again, his fist clenching and unclenching, "If we weren't about to go into battle at this moment, you would be a dead man."

"I guess I should consider myself lucky then," Kakashi rubbed the back of his head nervously. All the vampire lords were regarding him with a cold look.

"Are we ready to enter?"

Everyone gave a nod of agreement and Hiashi pushed open the large double doors. They entered the quiet room, all their senses on alert. The werewolves and hybrids had taken to wolf form again, their ears pricked for any sound. Naruto's eyes roamed the room and suddenly stopped.

His eyes widened and an anguished whine escaped his throat.

There, hanging by their wrists were the three women. Naruto took in the sight. The one on the right side had long silver hair that reached her waist. Large white wings hung limp from her back. Naruto guessed that was Kana, Itachi's fiancée. The one on the left had short caramel-colored hair. She had no distinguishing features but seemed to have a natural beauty to her. 'She must be Matsuri,' Naruto thought with growing despair. He had instantly recognized the one in the middle. And it made his blood run cold.

Long, navy-blue hair covered her eyes from view. Her head hung down, resting on her chest. 'Hinata-chan,' he thought with a pang of anguish. At his cry, the rest of their group turned their attention to where he was looking. Horrified gasps echoed around the silent room. The rest of the group was horrified at the state in which the women were in. Their wrists were chaffed and bleeding, the blood running down their arms aside from Matsuri, whose wrists were beginning to crack and splinter instead of bleed.

But what made Naruto cry out wasn't the condition that the women were in. It was the simple fact that the three women weren't moving. And he couldn't hear their heartbeats at all.


	20. Introductions

A growl sounded from Tenten, tearing Naruto's gaze away from the three women. His eyes narrowed and his hackles raised as a vampire stepped into view. He had silver hair, tied into a ponytail, and dark calculating eyes. He pushed a pair of glasses higher up on his nose, smirking at the group of vampires, werewolves and hybrids. Naruto guessed that this was Orochimaru's second in command, Kabuto.

"Well, well, look at what the cat dragged in," his dark eyes calmly took in the group, his smirk widening, "Or should I say wolf."

Naruto heard several hisses and growls. Hiashi stepped forward, his cold lilac eyes promising death, "You bastard…they'd better not be…"

"Dead? Oh, I assure you, they're not," Kabuto smirked again, "Not yet anyway."

Naruto felt his heart clench painfully. He could see Gaara's eyes narrow, the sapphire orbs glittering with loathing. Itachi, in his wolf form, glared at the silver haired man with murderous red eyes.

Hiashi froze, his eyes narrowing, "What do you mean?"

"You see, I administered a special type of potion, made from vampire heart shards, werewolf blood, and angel feathers. This certain concoction, when brewed right, turns into a poison when you add a tiny bit of snake venom. It makes the one who drank it fall into a near death state. The poison doesn't affect them while they are sleeping however. It is when they wake up, exactly 2 hours later, that the poison takes effect. When their hearts begin beating again, the poison spreads through their blood system, effectively killing them in a matter of minutes. The only way they can be saved is if they drink the antidote," Kabuto's eyes shone with barely contained glee, his smirk malicious. He pointed to a corner of the room, where a crystal chest lay. Naruto could see small vials of purple liquid through the clear structure.

Gaara's soft spoken voice echoed around the room as he asked, "How long have they been asleep?"

"About an hour," Kabuto's smirk widened. Naruto shivered, realizing they only had an hour to somehow get to the antidote.

"Oh, Kabuto, you gave away the whole sssssssurprissssse," Naruto shuddered, the air in the room becoming chilly. Naruto gagged as he caught a sniff of the scent of decaying flesh. Naruto watched as Orochimaru stepped into the light. He had pale grey skin and limp black hair. His yellow eyes were hard and cold. His long tongue ran over his lips, as if preparing himself for a filling meal. Naruto had never seen anything like him. A creature so filthy, so evil, that it made Naruto want to cower and run away.

But one glance in Hinata's direction and Naruto knew he couldn't and wouldn't leave her. He would save her. He knew his life wouldn't be whole without her in it.

He caught Jiraiya's stare and nodded. Naruto crouched down, his muscles tense and ready to spring. The others, he noticed, mirrored his example.

"It seems that they want a fight, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto giggled uncharacteristically. Orochimaru's eyes glittered with malice and he nodded. His mouth tilted up into a hideous grin.

Naruto could stand it no longer. He lunged, his jaws snapping to clamp down on the mocking silver-haired vampire. He neatly dodged, smirk still in place. He could feel the others running up to help him.

But soon they were blocked off by a wall of vampires. The vampires had come pouring in from the shadows.

'Something's wrong with these vampires,' Naruto thought, catching Neji's gaze as he rushed to help. Their movements were slow, not at all graceful as normal vampires would be. Their eyes seemed glazed over, as if in a trance. He fought alongside Gaara. He had to admit, the red-head was amazingly good.

"These vampires are being controlled," he whispered to Naruto pointing at a small device attached to one of the vampire's neck. Naruto tried not to let himself be bothered by the fact that the neck was no longer connected to a body. He inspected the device, sniffing gingerly. It had Kabuto's scent all over it. It was small and silver, with little lights blinking on and off.

Naruto noticed that if he looked a little closer, all the vampires had the same, tiny device stuck to their necks. Determined, Naruto began to tear off the silver devices, careful not to harm the vampires. The others soon noticed what he was doing and followed his example.

A hiss of frustration was heard as all the vampires, dazed, stopped attacking, their gazes confused. Kabuto looked unnerved, as if this hadn't been his plan at all. With a frightening glance in the silver-haired man's direction, the once-controlled vampires fled through the door.

'So much for backup,' Naruto thought with slight sarcasm. He looked over at his teammates and felt a slight relief that none of them were hurt. Though Neji seemed to have a small gash across his back.

Suddenly, Orochimaru laughed, "You're better than I exsssssssspected. I guessssssssss I'll have to ssssssssssstep up to the plate, hmmmm?"

He stepped forward, almost lazily. Naruto could tell though that the thin man before them would be able to strike if any of them dared to move forward.

And all of a sudden, Orochimaru's skin began to peel away. Naruto felt bile rising up his throat as his skin continued to peel. Underneath the skin shone dark, black scales. Naruto watched, frozen in place, as the lanky man in front of them became something much more intimidating.

Coiled before them, was Orochimaru. He was easily over 100 feet long, his scaled body the width of a large tree trunk. His ebony scales glittered in the torchlight. The only remnant that was similar to his human form was his eyes.

They were still the same cold, hard, cruel yellow eyes.

Orochimaru hissed in challenge and the battle began.


	21. Chest

Time seemed to be flowing too fast.

Orochimaru snapped forward, his jaws almost closing around Tsunade. Luckily, Jiraiya had reached forward and grabbed her scruff, pulling her out of the snake's cruel jaws. At the same time, Kabuto moved forward, claws raking up Sasuke's side. Sakura quickly moved into action, her jaws ripping off a piece of the silver-haired man's flesh.

Kabuto hissed, annoyance and pain coloring his tone. He slashed out at the pink wolf but she neatly dodged. Sasuke rushed in and slashed off the vampire's hand, his red eyes glowering. Naruto joined the others in attacking Orochimaru.

The snake was undeniably nimble and fast. His tail caught Tenten square in the chest, sending her flying across the room. Neji growled angrily, sinking his fangs into the snake's repulsive smelling skin.

Naruto fought tooth and claw against the snake, trying to dodge monstrous coils and sharp teeth. Naruto could feel desperation clawing in his stomach as he realized time was running out. He flinched as Orochimaru's fangs grazed Itachi's shoulder. Kakashi was flung off the snake, hitting the wall with a dull thud. Hiashi hung onto the snake, his claws raking up his side. Gaara was wound in the snake's coils, though Shikamaru and Ino were working on getting him out. Neji and Tenten each took their turns biting into the snake, trying to get past the scales. Jiraiya and Tsunade had joined Sasuke and Sakura in battling Kabuto, who proved to be quite a nimble warrior himself.

A sound in the corner made Naruto turn. Naruto felt the desperation hit him full force as he saw the three women had begun to show signs of coming back to life. He could hear each of their hearts beat once and then they were once again still.

He cursed. It was only a matter of time before they woke up. Naruto fought with renewed vigor. Shikamaru and Ino had finally worked Gaara free and the red-head was once again helping. Orochimaru was slowing down, his eyes taking on a hint of fear. He realized that his great size might be a disadvantage in this fight, making him a bigger target for his attackers. Naruto and the others saw this and attacked with renewed determination.

What Naruto hadn't noticed was that while they fought, Kakashi had crawled over to the crystal trunk. The silver-haired vampire figured that the least he could do for being late was acquiring the antidote. He felt his blood run cold at the realization that the trunk had no latch. He tried futilely to open it but it didn't so much as budge.

The chaos had stopped as all those fighting noticed the swearing vampire by the chest. Kabuto had begun giggling again, while Orochimaru's yellow eyes glittered in smug triumph. An absolutely livid Gaara suddenly had Kabuto up by his throat.

"Start talking," Gaara hissed darkly. The evil vampire did nothing but laugh insanely. Gaara's grip tightened and a bit of the vampire's skin shattered. But Kabuto continued to only laugh.

And then, the bespectacled man reached a hand into his own chest and brought out his crystal heart. Gaara's aquamarine eyes widened with shock before Kabuto squeezed his own heart and it shattered into a million pieces. The vampire gave a last maniacal laugh before he was still. Gaara cursed before flinging the limp body to the ground.

All eyes turned to Orochimaru.

Only to find that he had disappeared.

"HOW CAN A HUGE BLOODY SNAKE JUST DISAPPEAR?! WHO WAS WATCHING HIM?"

Naruto found that none of them had an answer to Hiashi's furious question. They had all been watching Gaara and Kabuto or Kakashi near the trunk, they had not thought to keep an eye on the giant snake.

"If you recall correctly," Kakashi drawled, "Skin-crawlers can become quite small, either to escape or to claim a host body. Though I believe Orochimaru doesn't possess the strength at this time to possess any of us."

They divided into three groups. Sakura, Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Ino made their way over to the captured women, trying to figure out a way to take them down. Neji, Tenten, Kakashi, Tsunade, and Jiraiya left in search of Orochimaru. Naruto, Gaara, Itachi, and Hiashi tried to figure out how the chest opened in order to get to the antidote.

Nothing seemed to work. Naruto once again heard the beat of three hearts before all was silent again. He cursed soundly, tears springing up into his eyes. Gaara and Itachi wore looks similar to his, their eyes shining with unshed tears.

Shikamaru had figured out how the mechanism of the chains worked, and the three women were lying on the floor, unmoving with their eyes closed. Naruto glanced at Hinata. She looked so peaceful, so serene. A sob came up in his throat. 'This isn't fair!'

He punched the crystal chest with such force that his knuckles split, the blood staining the clear structure. He was glad for the pain, even welcomed it. It helped distract him, if even for a minute.

Gasps of surprise brought Naruto's attention back to the chest. The blood that had been left on the crystal was being sucked up by the chest. The blood flowed around the chest, making intricate patterns. Naruto had no idea what was happening.

Itachi hissed, "The trunk isn't crystal. It's made from vampire hide. It reacts to blood."

Naruto shuddered at the thought that this trunk was made from vampire skin. But that though was soon forgotten as the chest popped open.

At the same time, Naruto heard three hearts begin to regularly beat once again.


	22. Antidote

Pain-filled screams filled the room. The three women began writhing on the floor, their eyes wide with fear. Naruto felt his heart stop for a minute, catching Hinata's anguished lilac gaze. Her body gave another violent spasm and Naruto saw her mouth his name, though no actual sound came out. Kana and Matsuri were in similar positions, spasms rocking their bodies.

His other three companions were just as motionless, resembling statues. It seemed as if time had frozen.

"NARUTO, SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Naruto snapped out of his statue-like state at Shikamaru's furious shout. He moved forward, grabbing one of the antidotes from the chest. He noticed that his hands were shaking. He watched Itachi and Gaara take two more of the small vials, following him to the other side of the room. Hiashi followed like a ghost, hovering above his daughter uncertainly.

"Wait," Sakura stopped the three men from uncorking the bottles, "How do we know that what Kabuto said was true? What if he was lying? This could be some other type of poison or something equally dangerous…"

All three paused, their faces uncertain.

"Damn it! If Tsunade was here, she would know," Sakura muttered in frustration. The three poisoned beings had stopped screaming, though an occasional whimper was heard. Naruto knew the three were fighting to keep from screaming, He could see it from the way they clenched their jaws. He felt his heart splutter in agony, knowing that the women were doing this for the sake of their loved ones, so their loved ones wouldn't suffer.

"Can't you check?"

"I…I can try," Sakura uncorked the vial Itachi held out to her and sniffed deeply. Her green eyes were concentrated, her pink eyebrows furrowed.

"Hurry, Sakura," Naruto pleaded, watching the light slowly leave Hinata's lilac eyes. He could feel her slipping, her heartbeat slowing, her breath coming in raggedly.

"The bastard seems to have been telling the truth, it's clear," she said, relief showing on her face. Itachi quickly snatched the vial back.

"He probably didn't foresee us being able to open the chest," Hiashi muttered, "We probably wouldn't have if it hadn't been for…uh…Naruto, was it?"

Naruto nodded distractedly, opening the cork to his own vial. He moved his arm behind Hinata, propping her head up. Her eyes had closed again and her breathing was coming in short gasps. Naruto knew that Kana and Matsuri were in similar positions.

"Come on, Hinata, you have to drink this," he tried to get her to open her mouth and swallow, but the purple liquid that he had dripped into her mouth escaped down the corners of her lips.

A memory itched at the back of his mind. Their first meeting sprang into his mind. The way she transferred the blood to him. Gripping the vial in his hand, he drank the liquid, not quite swallowing. The others looked at him in confusion.

Bending down, he brought his mouth to Hinata's. Opening her mouth with his tongue, he carefully slipped the liquid into her mouth and down her throat. He could hear her swallow down the antidote.

He brought his head up, signaling for the other two to do the same. Gaara and Itachi nodded, mimicking Naruto's movements. Naruto heard the swallow of the other two.

Now, all that was left to do was wait.

Naruto held his breath, holding Hinata close, watching her face for some kind of clue that the antidote was taking effect. It seemed as if nothing was happening. Naruto felt tears prickling at his eyes again.

But then, slowly, their breathing evened out, no longer coming in painful gasps. They relaxed against the ones that held them.

Hinata blinked open her eyes, looking up at him. Naruto felt giddy with relief as she gave him a small smile, "I hope I wasn't too much of a bother, Naruto-kun."

Her voice was weak, barely audible. Naruto could feel the tears running down his face as he brought her close to him, hugging her to his chest.

"You're all right, you're alive," he whispered, more to reassure himself than her. She said nothing but he could feel her tears splashing on his shirt. He breathed in her lavender scent, burying his face into her soft hair. Hiashi took a hesitant step forward, then, encouraged by Naruto's small nod, kneeled down beside the couple, placing his shaking hand on his daughter's head.

Itachi held Kana in his arms, while the blind angel snuggled into him. Matsuri was crying softly with relief, holding onto Gaara tightly, who was burying his face into her neck.

Shikamaru collapsed on the floor in a heap, a tired smile coming up into his face. Ino instantly followed him, making herself comfortable on his chest. Sasuke pulled Sakura towards him, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. She smiled up at him, sighing in relief and happiness.

"Hey guys," a feminine voice called from the doorway, a hint of amusement in the tone. Naruto caught sight of a vampire he'd never seen before. She stood leaning against the door, her hand curled around something thin and black.

"Anko," Itachi called out, confusion in his tone. Naruto's own confusion cleared. He'd heard of the purple-haired vampire. She was Kakashi's second-in-command. And the silver-haired man's intended love interest. The two were both in love with the other but were both too stubborn to admit it.

She smirked, her eyes sparkling mischievously, "Anybody lose a snake?"


	23. Arrangements

"That's my Anko," Kakashi suddenly appeared behind Anko, nuzzling her neck. The violet-haired vampire rolled her eyes, but she was smiling happily. She threw the limp snake into the middle of the room, her eyes glittering. The others all scooted away from the scaled reptile.

"What happened?"

Anko smirked evilly, "Let's just say evil snakes and pissed off vampires and werewolves don't mix. He made it all the way to the battlefield…almost got away too, the nasty little bastard. But some of the vampires who came out of the castle after the battle began, caught hold of his scent. You should have seen them. They almost tore him apart!"

"They must have been the vampires who were being controlled," Shikamaru pointed out.

Hiashi sniffed haughtily, "How is everyone faring?"

"Not to worry, silver eyes, everyone's okay. Though they don't look too comfortable being that close to each other, they aren't tearing each other's throats out," Anko replied tartly. Hiashi looked slightly peeved at his new nickname.

"Hiashi-sama, Itachi-sama, Kakashi-sama, Gaara-sama, Inoichi-sama, I hope we can meet later this week to talk about the peace treaty," Tsunade had come into the room, Jiraiya at her side. Neji and Tenten followed close behind.

"It would be our pleasure, Tsunade-sama," Inoichi stepped forward to speak for all the Vampire Lords. The others all nodded their consent, except for Kakashi who groaned about having more work.

"Perhaps you could come for our wedding ceremony," Kana's melodious voice called from the corner where she sat with Itachi, "You could come a day earlier and decide all the details of the treaty and then stay for the wedding."

Itachi was nodding beside her, giving his bride a small feathery kiss on her cheek.

"We would be honored to attend," Tsunade replied, nodding toward the couple.

"We will be ready in three days time," Itachi returned the nod, "We will be starting the ceremony at sunset."

Tsunade smiled ruefully and nodded, "In three days then. It is time we left for our own lands. Thank you," the last part was said quietly and hesitantly. Tsunade signaled for the werewolves in the room to follow her.

"Wait, Tsunade-sama, I…I want…no…I need to stay," Naruto was looking up at her, his blue eyes wide. Tsunade looked down at him, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Naruto-kun, you should go, I'll be all right," Naruto shook his head at Hinata's soft prompt.

"I want to stay with you, Hinata-chan," he whispered in her ear, feeling her shiver. He tightened his hold around her, smiling slightly.

"I was wondering if I could stay too," Tenten spoke up from where she stood beside Neji.

"Me too," Sakura timidly smiled up at Sasuke, who smirked proudly.

"It's troublesome but I'd like to stay too," Ino positively beamed, planting a sound kiss on Shikamaru's lips.

Tsunade glanced over at Hiashi, silently asking for permission. The vampire nodded, fighting to hide a smile.

"Alright, you can stay," Tsunade gave them a small smile before phasing and leaving the room, closely followed by Jiraiya, who managed to give the pack a perverted wink.

"We might want to dismiss our troops as well," Kakashi drawled, "And find our guests some rooms."

"I don't think that will be necessary," Neji replied, his lilac eyes glinting in amusement. Tenten flushed but made no sounds of protest. Sasuke smirked as he caught the hidden meaning in Neji's words. Naruto and Shikamaru soon mirrored Sasuke's expression while the women blushed.

Kakashi smiled widely, a perverted chuckle escaping his throat. Anko grinned suggestively as well.

"While Hiashi and Inoichi are getting all of that army stuff sorted out, you could help me wash this disgusting snake smell off," Anko had grabbed Kakashi by his collar and was pulling him toward the door, her smile almost feral. Kakashi looked thrilled, his smile showing even behind his mask.

Itachi soon followed, his arm protectively around his angelic bride. Gaara left soon after, a sleeping Matsuri in his arms.

Hanabi, Hinata's little half-sister, had come in to check up on Hinata. Upon seeing her well and recovering, the young vampire had picked up the snake corpse lying on the floor and made her way to the door, a knowing smirk on her face.

"Guys," Everyone looked over toward the younger Hyuga, "Try not to make too much noise tonight, ok?"

And with an almost evil giggle, the brunette was gone, leaving behind a group of flushed faces.


	24. First Nights

After a few more moments of companionable silence, the eight friends decided that it was time to retire to their chambers.

Naruto helped Hinata stand, still looking worried though she assured him that she was feeling better. She had licked at her swollen and bleeding wrists, effectively closing the wound. As for her tattered clothing…there was nothing to be done about that. Though Naruto had to admit the view was pleasurable.

Sakura asked after Sasuke's wound, but he shrugged it off. The slash across his back was already almost healed. Thankfully, it hadn't been deep. Neji quietly asked Tenten if she was alright, to which she responded that she was doing quite well, aside from a few bruises. Ino was trying to help Shikamaru, who insisted that she stopped being so troublesome because he was feeling fine.

The eight walked together toward the chambers, uncharacteristically quiet. Each of them were somewhat anxious for the night ahead, not knowing what would happen.

Stopping in the hallway, each bid good night to the others and made their way to their respective rooms with their significant other.

_**NARUHINA**_

Naruto swallowed thickly, making his way after Hinata. As they entered her room, he was struck by her overpowering scent. He breathed in deeply, enjoying the way the soft smell of lavender swirled around him.

"Naruto-kun?"

Naruto snapped out of his reverie upon hearing Hinata calling his name, "Oh, oh sorry Hinata-chan, what was that?"

She smiled softly, "Would you like to bathe first?"

His eyes widened momentarily before he shook his head, a blush coming up on his tan cheeks, "No, you can go first."

Hinata nodded, her lilac gaze warm with affection. Naruto watched her gracefully glide toward a small door and disappear through it. He mentally smacked himself at the way his thoughts had turned.

"Get a grip, Naruto, breathe," he inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to calm the heat that was pulsing through him, "You aren't some pervert like Jiraiya-sensei…though she is in there taking a shower and I'm pretty sure she didn't lock the door…NO! Bad Naruto! Get your mind out of the gutter!"

He struggled with himself as a part of him argued that if she hadn't wanted him to join her, she would have locked the door, while the other part told him that she was an innocent woman and probably thought nothing of locking the doors because she trusted him.

His inner turmoil was interrupted as he heard the door opening. His head turned instinctively toward the sound. The sight that met him made his heart stop and the heat return tenfold.

Standing before him, clad in nothing but a short, fluffy white towel, was Hinata.

He gulped loudly, his eyes roaming over her body. Her long hair was still damp, some strands sticking to her face. Some beads of water rolled down her shoulders and into the towel. Naruto found that he couldn't speak or think.

"Naruto-kun? Are you alright?"

He gulped again and nodded, as she came closer to him. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears. She smiled shyly and Naruto found the gesture thoroughly seductive. What happened next caught them both by surprise.

The wolf in Naruto had had enough. Before Naruto could once again gain control of his emotions, he had somehow pinned Hinata to her navy-blue bed, her body trapped under his. Her eyes were wide, a blush rushing into her pale face.

"Ah..uhmmm, sorry Hinata-chan, I don't know what came over…"

Naruto was effectively silenced by her lips on his. Her arms had wrapped around his neck, holding him in place above her. He eagerly responded, using his arms to hold himself above her. His tongue battled with hers, seeking dominance. He won, exploring her mouth thoroughly. She broke away, tilting her head down to reach his neck. Naruto growled softly in his throat as she kissed his neck, leaving a trail of searing fire where she had kissed him. Her hands made quick work of his shirt and the towel was soon lying in a heap on the floor.

Naruto shivered as Hinata ran her hands up his chest, as if memorizing every little detail, "Hinata-chan, are you sure about this?"

She just smiled sweetly and pulled him closer, planting a deep heated kiss on his waiting lips.

_**NEJITEN**_

Tenten shifted uncomfortably as she stood in Neji's room, not entirely sure of what to do. She watched the hybrid walk over to his closet and take out a few pieces of clothing.

"Come, you can bathe first," Tenten shivered involuntarily at the husky tone in his voice. Despite what she had told her friends, she could feel deep within her that Neji was her other half, the yin to her yang. She had a fiery temper, he had an icy calmness. She was brash and bold; he was calculating and analytical. She was fire; he was the cold snow. He seemed to complete her. The wolf within her was in a frenzy, wanting nothing more than to rip off his clothes. She flushed a dark shade of pink at the thought.

Neji was having similar problems. He didn't want to scare her away. He realized that he may have been a little too forward in his conquest to win her favor. And he was using every ounce of self control he had so that he would not throw her on the bed and claim her as his own.

He led her to the bathroom, pointing out where the towels were, then left. She stood still for a minute before beginning to undress. She stepped into the shower, letting the warm water run over her tired and bloodied body. She frowned as she looked over her bruises, but there was nothing to be done about that. She worked shampoo into her hair then rinsed it off, closing her eyes as she felt all her muscles relaxing. Stepping out, she toweled herself dry and dressed herself in Neji's clothes. She leaned down, breathing in the scent of pine and wood that still lingered in his clothes.

She breathed in deeply before stepping out…and suddenly wished she'd taken longer.

Standing in the middle of the room, looking somewhat shocked was Neji. But that wasn't what made Tenten flush. It was the simple fact that he was shirtless. The wolf within her tore at her self control, struggling to be let out, wanting to claim this god-like hybrid as her own. Her chocolate brown gaze swept over his body, taking in the muscular, pale chest and the hard abs. His lilac eyes were wide with shock before they narrowed, an intense look in them.

He smirked suddenly, "Enjoying the view?"

Tenten bristled, embarrassed at realizing she had been staring. What Tenten didn't know was that it was taking all of Neji's will power to stay still and composed. 'No one should look that delectable in my clothes,' he thought, fighting to control his breathing.

Tenten though had nowhere near the composure Neji had. Her body was instinctively moving closer to his, prowling. She was a predator now, and Neji was her prey. She felt hot and she could hear her heart pounding in her chest. One of her hands came up, ghosting over Neji's chest. He shuddered, his jaw clenching as he once again struggled against the wolf inside of him. Tenten caught the look of pure hunger and passion in his eyes, as well as the look of pure adoration. She had to admit, she admired his self control.

But she could control herself no longer. Moving quickly, she pushed him onto the bed, straddling his waist. His lilac eyes widened, shocked at her actions.

"You might have control over your wolf," she purred in his ear, "But I don't like to keep mine on a leash."

He growled playfully, flipping her over so that he was now on top. She smiled cheekily, her eyes tantalizing him, urging him on. His control snapped, his emotions pouring out as his lips crashed on hers. She pulled him down onto her, their bodies flush against each other. Her hands were tangled into his hair while his were on her waist, dancing over her body. The kiss broke only long enough for Tenten to free herself from her shirt. He allowed himself to smile down at her, true happiness reflected in his lilac orbs.

He paused for a minute, giving her time to pull away should she choose to.

"You know, you should smile more often," Tenten giggled, smiling up at him, letting him see the want and love in her eyes before pulling him down once again for another heated kiss.

_**SHIKAINO**_

Ino had enthusiastically led Shikamaru into her sky-blue room, thinking up different ways to get Shikamaru to admit to being her mate.

That is, until she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Did you have to scream so loud, you troublesome woman? My eardrums will never be the same again…"

"I LOOK HIDEOUS!"

She stared at herself in the mirror with dismay. She had dark circles under her eyes, her hair was slipping out of the high ponytail, scratches covered her arms, her clothes were bloodied and her lips were chapped.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, 'What is it with women and their looks?'

Nevertheless, a fond smile came onto his lips as the blond hybrid continued to fuss over her appearance. He knew that they were meant to be mates. He wasn't a genius for nothing. He enjoyed the way she made him feel. As if he was a knight in shining armor and not just a lazy genius werewolf. He had never felt this way when he had been with Temari.

He frowned slightly at the though of the other blond female in his life. Ino and Temari were polar opposites. Temari was hard and independent. Ino was soft, romantic, overly affectionate and always in need of attention. In his mind they were both troublesome. But while Temari had been exasperatedly troublesome, he found that Ino was a sort of…adorable troublesome.

He sighed as she continued to prattle on and on about how she looked. Stepping up behind her, he planted his hands on her hips and brushed his lips against her neck.

She cut off mid-sentence, her eyes widening then closing in pleasure as she felt his breath caress her neck.

"You are undoubtedly the most troublesome woman I've ever had the chance of meeting," he smirked as she puffed out her cheeks, opening her mouth to argue her point.

She didn't get the chance. As she twisted around to face him, he captured her lips with his own. All thought fled the blonde's mind as she responded to the almost lazy kiss.

"You'll always look beautiful to me, Ino," he murmured seriously, his hand caressing her cheek. She flushed a light pink but smiled up at him brightly in gratitude, taking his breath away.

Her expression turned coy and teasing in a minute, "Thanks Shika-kun! However, I do believe I am in desperate need of a bath…Perhaps you'd like to join me?"

Shikamaru lazily smirked, following his soon-to-be mate into the bathroom, looking forward to the night ahead.

_**SASUSAKU**_

Sakura had barely stepped into the dark red room before she was pushed into the wall, her wrists pinned above her by Sasuke's strong hands. His lips descended upon hers instantly, demanding and hot against her own. She whimpered, shivering at the heat created by his body pressing against hers.

She timidly responded to his heated kiss, gaining courage as the kiss continued. He broke away, leaning down to look into her eyes.

"You're annoying," Sakura would have found it offensive, if she had not caught the tender tone in which the words were spoken. She realized he was teasing her and that, in a way, it was a term of endearment.

"How so?"

"Aa…" Sasuke had never been one for emotional talk. He had never been any good at it. But seeing her earnest expression, her emerald green eyes staring up at him expectantly, he decided he would try…if only for her sake.

"You…well, you're always on my mind. You're the only thing I can think about…that's why you're annoying…"

Sasuke looked away to hide the small blush covering his cheeks. He mentally slapped himself for sounding like a love-sick puppy. Sakura felt her heart give a light squeeze. She felt her eyes tearing up, feeling unspeakable joy at the thought that Sasuke had opened up to her, and allowed her to see a bit of what he was feeling.

She said nothing, nudging his face back towards her, placing a light kiss on his lips. He looked grateful for her understanding. She knew if she had probed further, he would have been embarrassed and retreated into himself.

"Sakura, be mine," he whispered in her ear, smirking when she flushed. He pressed her against the wall again, his lips trailing light kisses down her neck. She gasped, making Sasuke growl lightly. He looked up at her again, black eyes eager though wary.

Sakura found that her voice wouldn't work. So she just nodded, letting him see her own emotions reflected in her eyes. Showing him how much he meant to her.

He smirked again, tugging on her hand towards a king-sized bed that was placed in the middle of the room. Sakura smiled up at him, complete trust shining in her eyes. She thought that things couldn't be better.

Soon, though, all thoughts fled her mind as Sasuke captured her lips in a long and searing kiss.

_**ELSEWHERE IN THE CASTLE**_

Hanabi rolled her eyes, trying to sleep but failing miserably.

'I thought I was quite clear when I told them to keep it down,' she thought grumpily before once again flipping over in her large bed and attempting to block out all sounds, 'Tonight is going to be a loooooonnnnnggg night.'


	25. Wedding celebration

"She's still glaring at me, Shika-kun," Ino stage-whispered to her new mate. Shikamaru was reclining on one of the chairs set up around the many tables, planting soft kisses on the blonde hybrids neck.

"Ignore it," he said in between kisses, trying to divert Ino's attention back to him. The blonde woman moaned, shifting positions on Shikamaru's lap to better gain access to his lips.

Naruto chuckled as Shikamaru successfully distracted Ino from a furious Temari. He had never seen his friends happier. With the exception of Temari, of course. The sandy-haired werewolf looked livid, watching the Nara genius and the blonde hybrid in a heated lip-lock.

He sipped on from his glass of white wine, all the while trying to loosen the tie around his neck, the only thing that was a damper on his day. It seemed that the whole mood of the place was in accordance with his feelings. He saw a glimpse of Itachi and his new wife, smiling lovingly at each other while thanking each guest for coming. Naruto was quite surprised at how Itachi handled his lover with a loving kindness and gentleness, despite how aloof and cold he was to everyone else. He was positively glowing with joy, his dark eyes warm.

He could see why Itachi was so captivated by the angel woman. She was quite beautiful in her white wedding dress, small diamonds twisted into her hair, her white wings tucked against her lean body. But that wasn't all. Naruto found that she had a warm and pure personality. She had been positively pleasant the few times that he had gotten to talk to her. Unlike some of the vampires who resented the werewolves' presence in the castle, she had been sincere, warm and inviting, speaking to them as if they were old friends.

A flash of pink hair brought his attention to the right of Kana. The table was set for the family of the bride and groom. But since Kana had no real family and Itachi only had his brother, only the four sat together. Sakura caught his gaze and waved cheerfully before turning her attention back to her dark-haired mate, giggling at something he'd whispered in her ear. He felt happy that Sakura had found Sasuke. For a long time, Naruto himself had trailed after her, begging for her attention. But like Shikamaru's crush on Temari, his infatuation with Sakura had slowly faded, leaving only a brotherly affection for the pink-haired werewolf.

His attention shifted to the next table over. Most of the Hyuga family sat around it, though the Hyuga he was keeping an eye out for had stepped out for a breath of fresh air. He felt himself grow warm at the thought of Hinata as his mate but quickly pulled his attention back to the 'Hyuga table'. Hiashi sat at the head of the table, in deep conversation with Inoichi. They seemed to be arguing about something, though Naruto couldn't hear what it was, though he did catch the words 'upcoming weddings' and 'cost'. Next to them sat a giggling Hanabi. It seemed that Naruto's adopted younger brother, Konohamaru, had taken a liking to the chocolate-haired Hyuga brat. He was laughing along with her, his eyes glowing at a joke he had probably told. Or most likely, a perverted comment. It seemed Konohamaru had not escaped unscathed from Jiraiya's parenting as he himself had.

His laughter was cut off by Tenten smacking him upside the head. Naruto could hear her threatening growl from across the room. 'Yep,' Naruto thought, with a nod of his head, 'definitely perverted comment.'

Hanabi then said something that made Tenten flush, though Naruto could see that it made Neji smirk widely. The Hyuga male was sitting beside his newly acquired mate, twirling a strand of Tenten's hair around his finger. Tenten turned away from the two youths, looking embarrassed and slightly disgruntled. Neji leaned forward and kissed the side of her mouth. Tenten flushed a darker shade of pink but smiled dreamily; pulling him closer to plant a long and heated kiss on his lips.

Naruto rolled his eyes, chuckling to himself. He could see Gaara, with an almost annoyed look on his face, dancing with an ecstatic Matsuri. The annoyed look was ruined though by the small smile that he wore on his face. He snickered, finding the idea of the stoic red-head giving into his mate and agreeing to dance, amusing.

A sound nearby caused Naruto to tear his gaze away from the dancing couple, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Then he groaned as he realized what had happened.

Before the wedding, the treaty had been organized. The war was declared over and the two kingdoms allied themselves. Tsunade had been all too happy. Her enthusiasm had grown when she made her way to the wedding and discovered the sake offered to the older adults. She had chugged down glass after glass of the alcoholic beverage, along with her perverted mate. The two even had a contest over who could drink the most. Lee, an eccentric friend of Neji's, had tried to join in the drinking but had been stopped by a similarly dressed fellow who claimed it was quite unyouthful to drink. Naruto had been thrown for a loop when the two spandex-clad men mysteriously vanished into a sunset.

And now his two very drunk adopted parents were making out on a nearby table. The sound he had heard had been a glass crashing on the floor when Jiraiya had moved Tsunade to his lap, knocking over the glass perched on the table. He shuddered, trying to ignore them and the knowing looks thrown in his direction.

"I believe your parents are intoxicated and in need of assistance," a melodic voice breathed in his ear. His stomach did a flip and his heart sped up as Hinata bent down to place a chaste kiss on his whiskered cheek.

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I figured that much. They'll probably fall asleep soon enough. Do you have any idea how many drinks they had?"

Hinata giggled, "I believe Tsunade had around 56 while Jiraiya had 49. Give or take a few."

"Thank you, Mrs. Observant," Naruto huffed out as she giggled again, tenderly playing with his golden hair. He tilted his head up, his eyes pleading. She sighed, though her eyes shone, and bent her head, placing a searing kiss on his waiting lips.

"Come on, Naruto-kun, they are your parents," he felt his resolve slipping as she brushed her lips against his collarbone, "Besides, I might just reward you for being such a kind and caring son."

Catching the twinkle in her lilac eyes, Naruto wasted no time in ushering his parents from the ballroom and into one of the many guest bedrooms in the vampire keep with an amused Hyuga heiress trailing behind him.


	26. Lunar Phases

I have decided to extend the story, so bear with me for a little while longer. Thank you for all the reviews so far. Sorry it has taken so long to update…I apologize to all my readers out there. And concerning Orochimaru's death...sorry if it was easy and anticlimatic. But that nasty snake doesn't deserve a cool death.

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Hushed voices echoed around the pitch black room, hostile and angry. The air was damp and suffocating. The only light from the room came from the different pairs of eyes shining in the dark. A hush fell over those gathered as the meeting was brought to a close.

"So, we are all in agreement that the war must be brought back?"

Murmurs of approval echoed around the small room. There was a small uncomfortable shift from one of the people there.

"How will we accomplish such a thing?"

"The peace that was formed at this moment in time is very precarious…any little thing could tip the scales and fan the flames of hostility," a hushed male voice whispered from one corner of the room, "We begin with the ones that don't belong…We begin with the hybrids."

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"You freaking emotionless bastard! I HATE YOU!"

"Sakura," Sasuke growled out, his patience wearing thin. Naruto winced feeling sorry for the dark-haired hybrid. 'This time of month is the worst,' Naruto thought with a groan. The pink-haired woman pushed past him, her green eyes flashing with anger. She soon disappeared around the corner.

It had been two weeks since the wedding. Two bliss-filled weeks of mostly staying in bed with their mates.

Then the peace was shattered.

"Sasuke-teme, you should just let her go off and calm down for a while…it's _that _time of month," Naruto patted the hybrid's shoulder awkwardly.

All the female werewolves and hybrids had been testy the past week. The reason behind the whole behavior was the lunar phases. While male werewolves became stronger as the full moon drew nearer, female werewolves became more hostile and snappish. Naruto wasn't sure why exactly, but it had always been this way.

It became unbearable when the night of the actual full moon came. Which happened to be that night.

Sasuke frowned but nodded, following the blonde werewolf into a small living room nearby. Naruto made himself comfortable on the couch, a heavy silence hanging over the two.

"Sooooo…What happened?"

"Aah," Sasuke fidgeted before shrugging, "I simply told her that she left her towel on the floor."

"Ha, Ino burst into tears when I told her I was going to get a drink," Both males turned toward Shikamaru as the pineapple-headed man came in, "She was convinced I was leaving her for Temari."

Naruto would have generally found these situations funny…But this was no laughing matter. Females werewolves and hybrids were highly dangerous at the time of the full moon.

"Tenten banished me from our room…she claims I was staring at Kurenai's…assets…"

Neji sat down beside Sasuke running a hand over his face.

"Were you?"

Neji promptly smacked Naruto on the head, growling low in his throat. The blonde rubbed his bruised head, glaring at the Hyuga hybrid.

"Well, Hinata hasn't exploded at me…yet," Naruto was silently thankful. The other three looked slightly envious.

"Lucky dobe," Sasuke huffed out in frustration. The Uchiha had never really had any experience with emotional females, as both Hinata and Ino stayed far enough away from the males at the time of the full moon.

"WHAT'D YA CALL ME?"

The two males soon got into a playful fist fight, growling out insults and threats. Neji rolled his eyes at how childish the two were while Shikamaru had fallen asleep on the couch. Until Naruto bumped into him, earning the blonde quite a few insults.

"HEY!"

Four pairs of eyes turned to the doorway. Naruto instantly recognized the voice and grinned widely.

"Jiraiya-sensei! What are you doing here?"

Jiraiya grinned widely, ruffling Naruto's hair affectionately, "What, not happy to see me?"

Naruto gave him a grin and shook his head, "That's not it, I was just surprised."

"Trouble with Tsunade?"

Jiraiya winced at Neji's inquiry, "She…ah, she kicked me out for a few days…she's convinced I'm seeing another woman. I'm lucky I got out when I did. She looked like she was going to murder someone."

"You mean she looked like she was going to murder you," Shikamaru drawled, smirking at the older man.

"You got it. I don't know where she got that idea from…I wouldn't ever cheat on her," Naruto could see the anguish in his sensei's eyes although Jiraiya tried to keep his face passive. Naruto knew that although Jiraiya was a pervert, he loved granny Tsunade.

"Don't worry, Jiraiya-sensei. She's just saying that because it's the night of the full moon tonight," Naruto gave Jiraiya a comforting hug, offering a smile to the white-haired man.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Jiraiya brightened up somewhat, his lips turning up into a small smile.

A small sniffle had all the males turning towards the door again. Hinata stood in the doorway, her lilac eyes full of tears and her lips turned down into an adorable pout.

"Hinata-chan, what's wrong?"

"Do, do you n-n-not love me anymore, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto's eyes shone with dismay, as the Hyuga female broke down crying in front of him, "Hinata-chan, don't cry! Please, of course I love you! Why would you think I didn't?"

"You weren't t-t-t-there when I w-w-w-woke up this morning," Hinata sobbed into his chest, her eyes shining with hurt.

"I told you the night before I was going to go out for a run, didn't I? Don't cry, I'm here," he breathed a sigh of relief as she finally calmed down, "Have you had breakfast yet?"

She shook her head, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She gave him a small smile of gratitude.

"Hey, guys, I'll see you later," he led his mate from the room, going towards the kitchen.

'Man, I seriously hope that today will pass by quickly,' Naruto thought as he proceeded to make pancakes, eggs, and bacon for his beloved.


	27. Discovery

"Master Hyuga!"

The pale-eyed man looked up from his conversation with Inoichi, glaring at the intruder, before recognizing him, "What is it, Kohaku?"

The young boy was panting, his face pale. He was one of the Hyuga's many servants, a young half-vampire child. Hiashi's eyes narrowed at the state the boy was in. Clearly something had spooked the child.

"You must come quickly, Master Hyuga! Something terrible has happened!"

Hiashi stood, along with Inoichi, and followed the boy out the doors. Kohaku led them outside of the keep, his dark brown eyes looking panicked and frightened. He stopped quite suddenly, causing Inoichi to run into Hiashi. Kohaku raised his arm and pointed.

Both male vampires turned their attention to where the young boy was pointing.

Hiashi and Inoichi gasped, their eyes widening.

Before them lay an unmoving werewolf male.

He was in his human form, like all werewolves who had their lives taken from them. His throat had been ripped out and his chest split open. His entrails lay out on the ground, spilling out of the open gash. Both vampires shifted from the overpowering smell of blood, fighting down the inner desire to partake of the crimson liquid.

Kohaku tugged on Hiashi's sleeve and pointed to something above the body, whimpering slightly. Hiashi turned his pale gaze to where the boy was pointing and froze.

The words 'THE PEACE WILL SOON BE SHATTERED' were written with blood on a piece of cloth. The dark red of the words stood out ominously against the white garment on which it was written.

"Inoichi, gather the Vampire Lords…We must meet with Tsunade at once," the Hyuga's jaw was tight with determination and repressed fury.

Inoichi nodded, his expression grim, before disappearing from his friend's side to seek out the leaders of the vampire nation.

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"Naruto-kun, don't leave me," Naruto fought against the moan of pleasure that was trying to climb its way up his throat. Hinata had pressed herself against him, whispering in his ear.

"Hinata-chan, I'm right here, I won't leave," he gave a shaky breath as she pulled away slightly, a content smile on her face. Naruto sighed. Hinata had been unusually moody since this morning. She had cried because she didn't know his favorite color, gotten mad at a toaster, burst into tears over the death of a mosquito he had crushed, and giggled at nothing at all.

His friends weren't faring much better, except maybe Neji. Sakura still refused to talk to Sasuke and had already punched several holes in the wall. Tenten had abruptly forgiven Neji and carried him off to their room for more…adult activities. Ino sat in the kitchen with a container of ice cream, moaning about all of the obvious problems that went on in her life to an irritated Shikamaru. Jiraiya had quickly left for home when a breathless werewolf came carrying a message from Tsunade.

"Naruto-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you," Hinata looked up at him with warm lilac eyes, reminding him why he was putting up with this past week's behavior.

"I love you too," he was awarded with a dazzling smile and a small kiss on his whiskered cheek. He chuckled in amusement.

"Uzumaki," Naruto turned towards the voice of his soon-to-be father-in-law, eyebrow rising in question.

"I need you to take Hinata and stay in your rooms for the rest of the evening," Hiashi looked agitated, his pale eyes flickering from left to right.

"Why? What's happened?"

"We can't be sure yet, but it seems someone is not content to let the war drop," Hiashi said tightly, "We're on our way to speak with Tsunade…please warn the others as well…No one is to leave the keep."

Naruto nodded, a determined light coming into his eyes. Hiashi gave his oldest daughter a quick peck on her forehead and then he was gone.

"Come on, Hinata-chan," Naruto tugged gently on the woman's hand, squeezing it lightly, before leaving to find his friends.

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"The whole plan seems stupid," a female voice drawled, "Why would we go after the hybrids? Shouldn't we go after someone more important? And many of the werewolves and vampires have mixed feelings about them…if you ask me, going after the hybrids is the worst move to take."

"You would do well to remember who you are speaking to," another female voice said tightly.

"It's quite all right," a hushed male voice called out to the second speaker, "To most it would seem like a rather idiotic move. But you're forgetting a most important detail…these aren't ordinary hybrids. Hinata Hyuga is the heiress to the Hyuga family, Neji Hyuga being the next in line. Sasuke Uchiha is one of the two remaining survivors to the Uchiha family. And Ino Yamanaka is the heir to the Yamanaka family. Not to mention that their mates are prominent figures in the werewolf community. If you will recall, Naruto Uzumaki is the next in line to be the alpha werewolf. Now, can you imagine if something tragic were to happen to them? Especially if a werewolf was behind the attack…Oh, I'm sure the vampire lords would have something to say about it…"

"And it shouldn't be too hard to convince others to help us," the second female voice added, "Many think that these hybrids have too much power…that they are freaks of nature, something that shouldn't exist."

"Do you see now?"

"Not really, but I guess you know what you're doing…"

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Aah, another chapter finished. I hope this is all making sense to you guys. Reviews are greatly appreciated.


	28. Plans

"So you expect us to believe that you had nothing to do with it?"

"WE DIDN'T!"

"We give you our word that we had nothing to do with the death of that werewolf," Hiashi calmly responded, giving Inoichi a warning glance. The blonde man tightened his fists, reluctantly sitting back down.

Tsunade sniffed but said nothing, her brown eyes hard. Jiraiya stood behind her, looking solemn for once in his life.

"One of my servants led us to the body…The blood suggested that he had been dead for some time…At least three days before we found him," Hiashi continued, running a hand through his long hair.

"If it wasn't you guys, then who…?"

Inoichi spoke up, answering Jiraiya's question, "It couldn't be revenge for Orochimaru's death…Skinwalkers only care for themselves. They don't take mates or have clans. It could be a newborn vampire attack, but that seems unlikely since a newborn would drink of their blood until the victim runs dry. Whoever did this was either a very controlled vampire or one of your own…their reason could only be restarting the war…Kami knows we've had to put down more than one rebellion to the treaty."

"Unless they're psycho murderers who just enjoy killing," Gaara pointed out emotionlessly.

The others in the room just stared at the young redhead.

"What?"

"Nothing," Itachi responded, shaking his head.

"Whether they're psychotic killers or trying to restart this pointless war, we must find whoever is responsible and stop them," Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on.

"We'll have to organize some search groups…" Hiashi was soon in deep in thought, trying to formulate a plan. Tsunade muttered in hushed tones with her mate, worry creasing her forehead. Gaara and Itachi stood by silently, glaring at nothing. Inoichi sat in the corner, still fuming.

The only one seemingly not affected by this whole thing was Kakashi, who sat in a corner, his nose stuck in a book.

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"How long do we have to hide out in here?"

"Would you just shut up for a few minutes, you troublesome woman?"

Ino pouted, huffing before turning away from her mate. Shikamaru rubbed his temples, trying to fight the headache that was forming. He was glad that the lunar phase was done with. 'Now Ino is back to being her normal amount of troublesome.'

The door suddenly opened and Neji slipped in, his eyebrows furrowed.

"So? What happened?"

Neji turned towards Naruto, heaving a deep sigh, "A werewolf was found dead in vampire territory."

The women in the room gasped, while the men wore shocked looks on their faces.

"How?"

"No one knows…A servant of Uncle's found him. He's been dead for a few days. The scent of his blood has gone stale," Neji gracefully fell down into the couch. Tenten immediately moved over and snuggled into him, offering her warmth and comfort. He gave her a small grateful smile, his arms tightening around her.

"So, that's why father ran off…"

Naruto pulled Hinata in tighter, burying his face in her neck. She smiled at him, though he could see the worry in her pearly orbs.

He leaned down until his mouth was by her ear.

"Don't worry, I won't let anything hurt you. I promise to protect you Hinata-hime. And I never break a promise," he whispered softly in her ear.

She shivered, smiling softly up at him. He felt his heart swell with love for the beautiful woman in his arms. The love shining in her eyes made him more determined to protect her from this unknown enemy, no matter the cost.

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"Ha, I have to admit, that was brilliant!"

"What are you suggesting? That our leader's other ideas weren't?"

The first speaker then said a few choice words concerning sticks and where they should be shoved. To which the second speaker responded in a similar fashion though in a much quieter tone.

"Now, we must wait…We wouldn't want…to get caught…too early in the game…"

"You know, you're one messed up piece of work…"

Moments later, the sounds of scuffling was heard, along with the sound of ripping fabric and muttered curses.

"I'm surrounded…by idiots," the hushed voice managed to wheeze out before trying to separate the two warring females.

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I apologize for the wait. I'm such an awful person for making you guys wait this long. It's just I've currently moved and I haven't set up internet in my new house yet. I've also been super busy at my work. I hope this is somewhat satisfactory. I'll try to be better at uploading. Thank you for reading so far. Reviews are welcomed and appreciated.


	29. Solutions

"You can't come," Neji's hissed through his teeth, his eyes flashing threateningly.

"I'm coming whether you like it or not," Tenten growled back, "I'm not letting you go by yourself…and I'm not some weak woman who needs to be protected."

"Granted, but I still don't want you out there," his mouth was set into a determined line.

"Oh, for Kami's sake! Just let her go already! Tenten can handle herself!"

"Thank you, Yamanaka-sama," Tenten smiled at the older blonde man before shooting a glare at the brooding Hyuga male.

"Fine…but she's coming with me," Neji spat, grinding his teeth together, clearly irritated with his mate's behavior.

Naruto sighed, shaking his head, "Your cousin sure worries a lot about Tenten."

Hinata looked up at him, "We just don't want anything to happen to you guys."

Naruto smiled fondly down at his mate, burying his face in her soft hair. She giggled, turning around in his embrace to give him a small peck on the lips.

"Kana-sama, Matsuri-sama, Hinata, you will stay in the keep, then?"

The three women nodded at Hiashi's inquiry, their expressions turning serious. There had been even more deaths the past week, both vampire and werewolf alike. Each death was different. But two things remained the same. Every werewolf that was murdered was found in vampire territory while every vampire that was murdered was found in werewolf territory. And each body was horribly mutilated in some way. Hostility was high among the two groups.

'Which was what the killer probably wanted,' Naruto thought to himself, grimacing slightly. The leaders of the two nations had gotten together and were almost sure that whoever was behind all this was attempting to bring the war back.

Tsunade and the Vampire Lords had agreed to send small groups to scout, thinking perhaps they could flush out the killer or find out where his hideout was. It was a long shot but it was the only idea they had come up with so far.

"Please be careful," Kana whispered to Itachi, her sightless navy-blue eyes worried. He leaned down and kissed her, then leaned his forehead against hers, looking at her with intense black eyes.

"I will," he promised, before going to stand by Gaara and Kakashi. Matsuri whispered something into Gaara's ear before giving him a quick peck on the cheek, tears gathering in her eyes. He in turn, nuzzled her neck, answering her whisper in a low voice that Naruto couldn't make out. She gave him a weak smile before moving back toward Kana.

Naruto turned his blue gaze onto his mate once more, feeling his heart give a painful lurch. She gave him a sad smile, wrapping her arms around him and burying her head at the crook of his neck.

"I'll miss you, Naruto-kun," she breathed against his neck, "Please don't do anything reckless."

"I'll make sure he doesn't, Hinata-chan," Sasuke smirked at the angry expression on Naruto's face, "Come on, dobe. Time to go."

"I'm coming, Teme! Bye, Hinata-hime," he kissed her deeply before hurrying after Sasuke. Sakura stood beside the dark-haired man, lightly holding hands.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, SHIKAMARU NAARA?"

"Ugh, so troublesome," the werewolf groaned, which earned him a smack on the head.

"YOU'RE TROUBLESOME, YOU STUPID WEREWOLF MALE!"

Naruto rolled his eyes, tuning out the two bickering people. He certainly didn't want to become involved in their fight. He wasn't quite sure how Shikamaru could handle the usually whiny blonde. He went to stand by Neji, who had his arms crossed and looked as if he was ready to snap someone's neck in two. Tenten stood a few feet away, purposefully looking away from the Hyuga male.

Naruto had to suppress a sigh. He hoped that it wouldn't be like this for the whole scouting trip. The silence between the Hyuga and his mate was almost suffocating. Other groups of vampires lay scattered around, talking in hushed voices. Each group consisted of 4 people.

Naruto had been put with Neji, Tenten, and Gaara. He didn't like the uncomfortable aura surrounding the two angry people but at least he'd have Gaara as company. 'Then again, Gaara isn't much of a conversationalist,' he thought, taking a quick look at the brooding red-head. Sasuke, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Ino formed another team. Kakashi, Hiashi, Inoichi, and Itachi formed the last of the elite scouting groups. Hiashi cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention.

"We're going to head out now," Inoichi called out in a loud voice, "If you guys find anything suspicious, report to the keep immediately. They will get word of it to us. Do not attempt to go in alone."

"And if you come across any werewolves," Kakashi drawled, "I just want to remind you that we are allies now."

"That's right," Hiashi gave everyone a hard glare, "If any of us hear of any scuffling, no matter who started it, all the parties involved will be punished."

There were some mutters but all of the vampires assembled nodded. Hiashi gave them one last intimidating look before dismissing the groups. Naruto gave Hinata a quick wink before morphing into his wolf form. He smiled inwardly when she blew him a kiss, before he followed Neji, ready to find this killer and once again restore the peace.

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"They're sending scouting groups to try to find us, both werewolf and vampire scouts," a nonchalant female voice commented, "You know, this whole 'we have to meet in the complete darkness' is getting on my nerves."

"You impudent girl, I've had about enough of you," the second female in the group hissed softly. The first speaker growled and there was the sound of a chair being scraped back.

"Now, now, you two. This will be over soon," the only male in the room whispered, his voice soft. The second female gave a final hiss in the direction of the first to which the other responded with a fearsome growl.

"We must get ready…They'll be here soon and we sure want to be good hosts to our guests now, don't we?"

"You are one messed up person," the first voice muttered under her breath when the male chuckled evilly.

"That's it," the second female hissed irritated. The sound of scuffling feet soon followed the hiss. Sounds of flesh meeting flesh and curse words filled the room.

"I'm not sure which is worse…this infernal peace or the people I willingly surround myself with," the soft voice hissed under his breath before moving to get in between the two fighting females.

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Hello there. It's been awhile. I must apologize for the very late update. I'm afraid my plot bunnies had deserted me there for a little bit. I'll try to upload the next chapter by next week. Thanks for sticking through it.


	30. Calm Before the Storm

The message was passed down from group to group.

A werewolf was missing.

Naruto had no idea who the werewolf might be but the fact that the killer had managed to take someone right from under their noses was disconcerting. The disappearance heightened everyone's fear and agitation. The search seemed to have boosted the determination of everyone involved, especially the werewolves.

It had already been two days since the search had begun and Naruto missed Hinata terribly. Being away from her for so long left him feeling empty. He just wanted to get this over with so he could make his way back to her. His train of though was interrupted as a strange scent flooded his senses.

It smelled familiar yet nothing like he'd ever smelled before. Giving a short bark, he waited for a few minutes before Neji joined him, his pale lavender eyes narrowed. Naruto whined, 'Well, it seems like Neji and Tenten haven't made up yet.' Neji's eyes narrowed and he gave a sharp bark, startling Naruto out of his thoughts.

He motioned with his muzzle to the place he had picked up the scent. Neji bent his head, taking a deep sniff as well. His eyes narrowed further, a confused look on his face. He gave Naruto a nod then pointed in the direction where the rest of the team was. Naruto nodded, following the dark brown hybrid.

Once they had gotten close to the group, the Hyuga shifted, taking long strides toward Tenten and Gaara. Naruto followed soon after, hoping Neji knew what was going on.

"We found a scent," Neji began as soon as he phased, "Hybrid scent."

Naruto suddenly realized why it seemed so familiar. It reminded him of how Hinata smelled. Like vampire and werewolf mixed together, cold stone and a touch of nature's scent.

"Wait, a hybrid?"

Neji nodded at Tenten, who now looked worried. Gaara looked as passive as ever but his aquamarine eyes shone with surprise. Naruto groaned, running a hand through his disheveled blonde hair. He couldn't help thinking that things just got complicated.

"Who's going to go back and tell the others?"

"I'll do it," Gaara spoke up softly. Neji nodded and Gaara took off, vanishing almost instantly.

"But…do you know who this hybrid is?"

Neji brought his attention to Tenten, looking at her with worried eyes, "I haven't the slightest clue."

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Word spread quickly of the trail and soon, everyone had gathered together. Only the leaders of each kind were allowed any closer lest the scents become mixed up. They followed the scent up to a large ominous cavern. The whole way through, the vampires and werewolves were basically at each others' throats. Now, they stood around, waiting for the signal to go inside.

Naruto was sick of it. He just wished they would get along. He could see that everyone felt miserable and exhausted. He padded up to Kankuro, who was walking with his shaggy head close to the ground, his tail dragging on the floor. They had been sent to secure the perimeter.

It seemed that it had been Temari, Kankuro's sister, who had been taken. He felt pity for the reddish-brown werewolf. Though he and Kankuro had never been close, Naruto didn't wish any type of pain on his pack member. Especially the pain and agony from knowing that a loved one was in danger. He knew that feeling all too well.

He gave Kankuro a playful shove with his shoulder, barking reassuringly. Kankoru looked up with tired black eyes, but shoved back, his gait a little more cheerful. Naruto barked out a wolf laugh, his eyes challenging the other wolf to a race.

Kankuro's dulls eyes brightened slightly and he crouched down, giving a small wolf smile. Both shot out, their paws barely skimming the ground.

Unfortunately, they both managed to crash into Neji, who glared at the two.

"Stop messing around, this is serious," the hybrid hissed, soundly smacking them on the heads.

'Someone's got his tighty-whities in a bunch,' Naruto thought glumly, rolling his eyes in exasperation. Kankuro snickered, a low rumbling sound coming from his throat. Neji gave both another glare before moving off, sitting beside the bonfire they had constructed.

Kankuro gave Naruto a playful nudge which Naruto returned. Both shifted into their human forms, their hair slightly windblown.

"Naruto, thanks," Kankuro gave a small half-smile, ruffling the younger boy's golden hair.

"No problem," he grinned widely before saying good-night to Kankuro and making his way over to where Shikamaru was sitting. He sat down besides his pack member, chuckling at the werewolf's disheveled appearance.

"Tough night?"

"You have no idea…I always knew taking a mate would be way too troublesome," the lazy genius grumbled, obviously irritated and exhausted.

"So, where is she?"

"She went off with Tenten," he drawled, "Probably to discuss why the male species is mentally and emotionally retarded."

"Ugh, at least you don't have to deal with oppressive silence…I thought that Neji and Tenten would have patched things up by now…Oh dear Kami, how I miss Hinata," he groaned, slumping down to lie on the floor.

"Out of everyone that got a mate, I believe that you were the luckiest, my knuckle-headed friend," Shikamaru sighed, "You, Gaara and Itachi."

Naruto couldn't help but agree. Phasing into his wolf form, Naruto made himself as comfortable as he could, letting sleep overtake him, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"They're at our door, master," the amusement in the feminine voice was impossible to miss. The sarcasm at the end was hard to miss as well.

"You are one strange creature," the softer female voice called, earning her a growl.

"No one asked your opinion, Miss Ice Cube," the first snapped, radiating murderous waves. The second hissed angrily, emitting a killing intent of her own.

"Enough," the male rasped and two smacks were heard in the darkness, "And the bait?"

"Worked like a charm," the second female affirmed, her voice colored with amusement. The first female chuckled in glee, clapping her hands.

"By tomorrow, they will see that it's useless to talk of peace," the male rasped, "Vampires and Werewolves can never coexist."


	31. Trap

"All right, we're going in," Tsunade looked grim but focused, her dark brown eyes narrowed. The werewolf leaders had arrived early that morning, having been too far from the site to get there immediately.

Everyone stood tense, jumping at the slightest sound. Naruto stood beside Jiraiya, anxious to get going. Inoichi gave the signal and the group slowly moved into the cave, their senses on hyper alert.

The cave smelled musty and damp, the smell almost overpowering. The group moved quietly along, keeping their eyes peeled for any sort of movement.

For once the werewolves and the vampires weren't arguing.

Naruto was surprised with how large the cave actually was. It was both high and wide, comfortably fitting all the gathered groups. It was also quite long as he couldn't see the back of the cave yet. They kept walking, silence reigning between them.

They had only gone a few paces when a loud rumbling sound echoed throughout the cavern and large rocks began falling.

"Everyone, GET DOWN!"

Naruto crouched down on the floor, wincing as various rocks pelted him. The rumbling soon stopped and he slowly got to his feet, shocked at what he was seeing.

The rockslide had blocked off their entrance.

The vampire Lords hissed in annoyance and irritation, their nerves frazzled. Tsunade's eyes were wide and she uttered a low guttural growl. Jiraiya padded forward and stood by his mate, his tail intertwined with hers. Naruto turned as he heard an anguished yelp.

Tenten stood by her mate, whining imploringly. Naruto slowly moved forward, eyeing the unmoving pile of dark fur that was Neji. Blood trickled down from a wound on his head. Naruto also saw the large rock crushing the hybrid's leg. A feeling of dread rose up in the pit of his stomach.

The chocolate brown werewolf shifted, tears running from her dark eyes. She kneeled down beside her mate, running a hand through his fur.

"Neji? Neji, please talk to me…Neji?"

Naruto also shifted, putting a comforting hand on the bun-haired female's shoulder. She turned to look up at the blonde, her expression anguished.

"He pushed me out of the way, Naruto…That rock was supposed to fall on me but he had to be all heroic and push me out of the way," Tenten's voice broke on the last part and she began sobbing. She bent down and buried her face in the hybrid's fur, sobs shaking her entire frame.

"NEJI, YOU BASTARD! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE! I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU, YOU JERK!"

All was quiet around the cave, some looking on with pity and others with disbelief. Naruto felt his heart go out to his pack member, wishing there was some way to comfort her.

The oppressive silence was broken by a low whine. Two pale lilac eyes opened blearily, dulled with pain. Tenten choked out a cry, throwing her arms around the Hyuga.

"Someone get that rock off his foot!"

Werewolf and vampire alike surged forward to obey Hiashi's hissed command. The boulder was easily moved and Neji phased back to human form, his face schooled into a mask of pain. As soon as he had phased Tenten grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and kissed him hungrily.

"Don't ever do that again, you selfish prick, I don't think I could survive without you," Tenten managed to get out through her sobs. Neji reached up and wiped away her tears, giving her a passionate kiss.

"Sorry," he whispered into her ear, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck, "But I'm glad you're alright."

She nodded, bending down and kissing him again. He winced when he tried to move closer to her, finding that moving the tiniest bit sent nauseating pain shooting up his leg.

"Stay still, you arrogant ice cube," she sat leaning against the wall and moved his head onto her lap. He gave her a mock glare but his eyes shone with warmth and affection.

"Is anyone else hurt?"

A few mumbles sounded out at Kakashi's drawled question. Soon they had separated the wounded out from the healthy.

"I'll stay and watch over the little whiners," Anko grinned widely, "You guys should keep going."

The leaders of both groups nodded tersely, calling everyone to attention. Kakashi gave Anko a worried look before she waved him off. He gave her a quick peck on the lips before following the other leaders.

They once again began making their way through the cavern, all of them high-strung. They kept darting glances up at the rock ceiling, as if it would once again start rumbling.

The cave seemed to be getting lighter. At first, Naruto thought the light came from another opening but they soon found that someone had installed torches on the wall. Naruto shivered, trying to shake off the cold feeling that had settled in his stomach.

He had stopped to take a sniff at the torch and was almost bowled over by a human Shikamaru, who was panting heavily. He glared at the Nara genius before taking note of the panic in the man's eyes. He whined questioningly, wondering what was wrong.

"Naruto, you seen Ino?"

Naruto shook his head no then cocked it to the side questioningly.

"I can't find her anywhere," Shikamaru's dark eyes were worried and Naruto was sure he had never seen his friend so close to hysterics before.

Before he could give the werewolf a reassuring bark or gesture, the cave suddenly erupted into bright light. The cave ended in a large circular room, filled with glowing torches. The groups moved forward cautiously, their stances tense and ready to spring into action.

A raspy male voice echoed around the spacious room, "Welcome, all of you…welcome to hell."

xxxxxxx

This chapter's slightly shorter. We're nearing the end now. Happy reading to you all. Sorry to leave you with a sort of cliffhanger.


	32. Choices

Naruto shuddered, glancing around. With the echoes in the cave it was impossible to pinpoint the exact location of whoever had spoken. Shikamaru still looked panicked, his eyes darting everywhere. Sasuke and Sakura padded up to the two of them, their gazes worried.

"SHOW YOURSELF!"

Tsunade's demand echoed around the cavern eerily. Naruto continued to look around even though he knew it was futile. It gave him something to focus on besides the ominous feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Now…what would be…the fun in that? It…sucks all the mystery…out of the…situation," the echoing voice continued, chuckling. Curses sounded out from various werewolves and vampires.

"ARE YOU THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE CURRENT DEATHS?"

The eerie voice chuckled again, "Quite right. But that's…not really important…right now…How about a little…game?"

"WHAT THE HELL! OF COURSE IT'S IMPORTANT, YOU BASTARD!"

Hiashi put a calming hand on Inoichi's shoulder though the Hyuga's other hand was clenched into a fist.

"Are you going to play…or not?"

"We'll play," Hiashi hissed out, his eyes blazing with fury. Every vampire stood stock still, looking more like statues than living beings. The werewolves on the other hand, shifted restlessly, their hackles raised along their backs.

"Wonderful," the male voice cackled gleefully, "Let me…show you your…choices."

The clanking of chains was heard and three bodies dropped down from the cave ceiling, each swinging limply.

The one on the right was obviously vampire, her pale skin beginning to splinter where the chains tightly held her wrists. Her blue hair was up in a bun, a large rose on one side of her head. Naruto didn't know who she was, never having seen her before. But from the shocked expressions that he could see on some of the vampires' faces, they knew her.

The one on the left was all too familiar to Naruto. Her sandy-yellow hair was in disarray, not up in their usual four pigtails. Temari hung as limp as the other two, her usually tan skin pale. Her wrists were chaffed and swollen. Naruto whined as he caught a glimpse of Kankuro's anguished expression.

The last one, swinging eerily in the middle, had Naruto's blood turning to ice. Shikamaru gave a strangled cry as he recognized the form of his mate, her long, platinum blonde hair hiding most of her bruised face from view.

Sakura pressed herself against Sasuke's side, drawing comfort from his warmth. Naruto felt relieved that Hinata hadn't been here to see this. He could see several of the werewolves heaving and felt the bile rising in his own throat.

"The rules are…simple…All you need to do is make a simple choice of who…will LIVE," there was a pause in which they heard hacking coughs and the voice spoke again, "But…who you choose…will have…consequences."

"Go on," Itachi hissed, his eyes a deep angry crimson. Naruto didn't like where this was going. Not one bit.

"You must…either sacrifice…the hybrid for the two…or sacrifice the two…for the hybrid…Though that's not all…After the first choice…you will either…walk away with…the hybrid…or you will subject…one of the two…remaining to torture…the decision rests…with you…"

All was silent for the next couple of minutes. And then everyone was talking at once. The loudest were Inoichi, Shikamaru and Kankuro.

"I WON'T LET THEM SACRIFICE INO!"

"Inoichi-sama, we cannot send two to their deaths for one…Even if she is your daughter, it is not a fair trade," Tsunade growled low, though her dark eyes shone with unshed tears.

Many of the vampires and werewolves echoed the sentiment. Inoichi looked livid, Shikamaru equally so. The two would glare at anyone who voiced their opinion on killing the hybrid in exchange for the two. Naruto wondered why they just couldn't save all three. He looked up at the three unmoving females, trying to find a way to set them free. There were none. Whoever this enemy was, he thought things through. There was no way for them to reach the females…they would have to choose.

"I won't let you do this," Shikamaru growled out. Kankuro growled beside him.

"I'm not letting my sister die for a…hybrid," Kankuro spat the word out as if he had tasted something bad.

"And I'm not letting my mate die!"

Naruto thought it best to squeeze in between the two growling males before they ripped each others throats out. Sakura gave a sharp reprimanding bark to both males, glaring at them with flashing green eyes. They backed off instantly but continued shooting murderous glares at one another.

"Even if we choose to save the two, we'll still have to choose one that will be tortured," Gaara commented quietly, his aqua eyes narrowed. He cast a worried glance in Itachi's direction. The dark hybrid nodded in agreement, his eyes dull with worry as well.

"It will obviously have to be the vampires…they can't necessarily feel pain unless their hearts are ripped out," someone called out, though Naruto wasn't sure who. The voice was deep but it sounded raspy, as if the person had not spoken for a long time. Naruto thought it strange but dismissed it, as threatening hisses echoed around the cavern from the vampires.

"In my opinion, it should be the werewolves who have to suffer," a vampire spat, "They're nothing but _ANIMALS._"

Before anyone could fathom what was happening, the vampire who had spoken was jumped by a bristling werewolf, who Naruto suddenly realized was Kiba. As if that had been some sort of signal, vampires and werewolves began pouncing on each other, teeth flashing and claws brandished. Naruto could only watch in horror as the two kinds fought tooth and nail, their hatred for the other a thick choking pressure.

Shaking out his pelt, he clenched his jaw and proceeded to help in trying to separate the two species, along with the Vampire Lords, the Leaders of the Wolf Pack and his friends.

Nobody heard the raspy chuckle coming from the shadows or the cold glinting eyes shining in triumph.


	33. Impulses

"Hinata-chan, do you think they're alright?"

Matsuri looked up at the taller woman, her brown gaze shining with worried tears. Hinata smiled assuringly at the vampire, giving her a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"I'm sure they're fine," the hybrid's voice was clear and full of confidence. But Hinata could not help the little trickle of fear that constantly weaved through her heart. There were so many things that could go wrong.

However, she knew that what Matsuri needed now was not realistic scenarios but reassurance. She just hoped she didn't disappoint the young vampire. Matsuri nodded, looking more relieved.

"Why don't you go lie down, Matsuri-chan…We can take care of things here," Hinata smiled softly, gently nudging her toward the stairs. Matsuri looked down at the ground before shifting her gaze back to the hybrid and nodding. Giving Hinata a last thankful smile, the vampire disappeared up the stairs.

"Are you well, Hinata-sama?"

Hinata turned toward Kana, offering her a weak smile. The blind angel rose up from her position on the floor where she had been playing with a few of the young werewolf pups. As if sensing something was amiss, the white-haired female wrapped her arms firmly around the hybrid, warm and delicate. Hinata appreciated the gesture, breathing in the angel's soft rosy scent.

"Do not worry yourself, Hinata-sama…They will return safely," the angel's soft crooning voice soothed Hinata's nerves, if only by a little bit. After a few minutes, Hinata gently removed herself from the embrace.

"I hope so, Kana-san…I really hope so…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It took a full half hour to pry the two sides apart. Many vampires were missing body parts while some werewolves sported bleeding wounds. The two kinds glared at each other, murder in their fierce gazes. Tsunade growled fiercely, her muscles tight with anger and her dark brown eyes blazing. The Vampire Lords were frozen in fury, their gazes hard and unrelenting. Many of the vampires and werewolves looked down in shame though some were too busy glaring at the opposite side to notice the reprimanding stares their leaders were sending them.

A harsh laughter cut through the stifling silence, startling all those gathered.

"That was quite…a show," the male voice echoed out again, sounding overly pleased, "Have you…made your decision?"

Naruto felt anger bubbling up inside of him. Along with it came a wave of despair. He knew what one of the decisions would be. Shikamaru would be devastated.

"We sacrifice the hybrid," Tsunade's voice rang out in the still silence, her tone heavy. Hiashi put a restraining hand on Inoichi's shoulder. The blonde vampire looked toward his old friend with pain-filled blue eyes. Naruto turned toward Shikamaru and felt the anger double. Whoever this man was, he would pay for making Shikamaru suffer.

"INO!"

The brown-haired werewolf pushed his way to the front, his face contorted into a pained expression. Naruto was alarmed to see tears running down the werewolf's face. In all the years they had known each other, he'd never seen Shikamaru cry.

The blonde shifted and her aqua eyes blinked open, "Shika-kun?"

Her eyes were dull and unfocused, her expression reflecting her confusion. One look at Shikamaru's face and it seemed Ino understood. Her eyes widened in horror, before they tightly closed, a few tears escaping. When she once again opened her eyes, there was a quiet acceptance in them.

"Shika-kun, don't cry," her voice broke slightly and she cleared it before continuing, "I love you Shika-kun…Don't forget me, okay?"

"Ino…I love you too. I could never forget you, you troublesome woman," the tears on Shikamaru's face were running more freely now, two waterfalls falling from his dark eyes.

"What did I just say, you lazy bum? Don't cry," Ino gave a weak smile, her eyes watery but her face set into a determined expression, "Daddy, I love you too. Please, both of you, don't cry."

"The choice…is made," the voice rasped, glee coloring his tone. Ino kept her eyes locked onto Shikamaru's. Naruto stood beside his friend, silently offering his support. Sakura was whining, tears leaking out of her emerald eyes. Sasuke stood beside his mate, anger and pain raging in his crimson eyes. Inoichi had turned away, his fists clenched and his jaw tight. Both vampires and werewolves looked away.

A shot rang out, the noise deafening in the quiet cavern.

Nobody noticed the horror-struck gaze of the other prisoner.

All that they saw was the silver bullet fly through the air and hit the blonde, her body curling in pain.

Everyone looked up in shock.

The bullet had hit, but it had hit the wrong blonde.

Temari had looked down from her place beside Ino and felt her heart lurch from the broken expression in Shikamaru's eyes. Closing her eyes, Temari knew what she had to do. Acting on impulse, the blonde had gripped her chains and swung toward the hybrid.

She was just in time.

Instead of hitting Ino, the bullet had buried itself into her right shoulder. She gritted her teeth to keep from screaming in pain. The silver was burning in her body.

"You all right, blondie?"

Ino looked up at her, her blue eyes shining with gratitude. A cry of outrage sounded out from the side and Temari turned her gaze to the blue-haired vampire beside her. She looked livid, her lips pulled back over her sharp canines.

"YOU'VE RUINED EVERYTHING," the vampire hissed, her black eyes hard with loathing. Temari growled back, her owns eyes narrowing in anger.

"This was not a part of the plan," Temari retorted, her growl fierce. The vampire hissed again before pulling at the chains that held her and dropping down to the floor, landing in a crouch amidst the two kinds. The vampire quickly dashed away, running toward a darkened corner and disappearing into the shadows.

"Temari?"

Temari looked down in guilt at the sound of her brother's voice, "I guess I should explain."

She made quick work of the chains binding Ino and then freed herself. Shikamaru caught Ino, holding her close to his chest. Kankuro caught his sister, crushing her in a hug.

"We need to take the bullet out," Sakura had phased and was striding toward the wounded werewolf, Sasuke at her heels. The pinkette was soon working skillfully, coaxing the bullet out of the bloody skin. Many of the vampires turned away, their jaws clenched tight. Tsunade looked furious.

"Care to explain what is happening around here, Temari?"

Naruto winced at the cold tone in which Tsunade addressed the blonde werewolf. Temari flinched, though Naruto couldn't tell if it was from Sakura digging around in her shoulder for the bullet or Tsunade's harsh tone.

"I'm…I don't know where to start," she muttered, her eyes downcast.

"Start at the beginning," Sasuke's smooth voice stated bluntly. Temari nodded, wincing as more blood poured out of her shoulder.

"I met the vampire a few weeks ago…right before the first killing," Temari took a deep breath and continued, "I was on patrol that night…Because of the treaty, I didn't attack her. She told me she'd been watching me and that her master was in need of someone with my abilities. She said she would give me a way to get revenge on the hybrids…I agreed. I've been helping them scatter the bodies though I didn't take part in any of the killings."

"Why is this 'master' doing this?"

"He wants to restart the war," Temari spoke through clenched teeth, cutting off the whine that escaped her lips as Sakura managed to dislodge the bullet and bring it out.

"Why did you help him, Tem?"

Kankuro looked hurt, feeling betrayed. Temari reached out her hand as if to touch him but then thought better of it and let her hand drop.

"I couldn't stand it…Seeing Shikamaru happy with…with her. All I could think about was separating them…Restarting the war seemed like the best idea. But I had no idea he planned to really kill her. It was supposed to be staged, I promise!"

Some of the surrounding werewolves and vampires cast distrustful glares in her direction and Temari hung her head, feeling the guilt digging into her.

"I believe you," Ino's soft voice sounded out from the awkward silence. Temari glanced over at the blonde hybrid in astonishment. Ino gave a tentative smile, reluctantly putting a hand over Temari's.

Temari felt tears pool in her eyes and she bit her lip in an effort to stop the flow. She smiled back, nodding in acceptance. She would not attempt to come between them again. She just hoped that both could come to forgive her.

"Just who is this 'master'?"

"I don't know," Temari sniffled, answering Kiba's question, "We always met in complete darkness. The only thing I can tell you is that he smells like a hybrid."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go after him!"

"Oh! You are so youthful, Lee-san!"

"I have learned all I know from you, Guy-sensei!"

"The bowl-cut haired man does have a point," Gaara pointed out, ignoring the two blubbering spandex-clad vampires running off into the sunset. Where they got the sunsets Naruto wasn't quite sure.

"Temari, are you well enough to lead the way?"

The blonde nodded, leaning on Kankuro for support. Many of the vampires and werewolves were apologizing to each other, getting ready to head out.

Naruto felt a glimmer of hope as he watched. Perhaps they could work out their differences after all and establish peace once and for all.


	34. Searches

Naruto ran along beside Gaara, his paws making no sound on the stone floor of the cavern. Temari was in the lead, sitting on Kankuro's large back, directing them where they needed to go.

Naruto wasn't sure where they were anymore. The blonde had shown them a hidden entrance that led away from the large cavernous room. They had taken so many twists and turns, he wasn't sure which way was out anymore.

He felt a sudden jolt of hope flash through him as he glanced around him, seeing the two kinds running beside each other. For once, nobody argued or tried to rip each others' throats out. They were actually…getting along. Naruto guessed it was because they had a common enemy. He looked toward Gaara, posing the question to the redhead with his eyes.

Gaara seemed to understand, "Hmph…No one messes with our peace unless we allow them to. And we don't like being used."

Naruto almost tripped on his own paws. 'So, it's okay if they break apart the peace but if it's someone else, they'll fight tooth and nail for it…What weirdos…'

A ghost of a smile played around the edges of Gaara's mouth, as if he guessed what the blonde was thinking.

That was the last thing Naruto saw before the ground began to rumble and flashes of white burst, blinding him momentarily. The sound was deafening. Naruto cowered down on the floor, his heart beating frantically. Screams and whines of agony made a chilling sort of music, blending with the booms of the bombs blowing off.

In the middle of all the tumult, sounds and smells, Naruto caught a whiff of the scent that they'd been searching for. He crawled forward, stifling his fear and replacing it with determination. 'I can't die…Hinata is waiting for me.'

He pushed past body parts and rocks, feeling bits and pieces of debris cut into his skin, until his nose came in contact with the stone wall. He whined, rubbing his paw over his nose, his eyes watering. He stared at the wall for a few seconds, confused. 'Did I pick up the wrong scent?'

He took a deep breathe and was stunned as he realized the scent became stronger closer to the rock. Puzzled but still tense, he pushed at the rock with his nose and yelped loudly when it gave in, revealing a small tunnel.

Before thinking things over carefully, he squeezed his way in, wriggling himself through the cramped little tunnel. The scent was almost overpowering in the cramped space. Slowly, the darkness around him seemed to brighten. He could see a dim light in the opening ahead.

With Hinata solely in mind, he gathered his courage and pulled himself out of the hole, stumbling into a large chamber. Before he'd fully stood up, a hard body crashed into him, driving him to the ground again. He quickly flipped over onto his stomach, just as claws raked down his back.

Growling, he surged upward quickly, throwing whoever it was on his back off balance. Spinning around, he came face to face with the blue-haired vampire, her fangs glistening in the dim light. She hissed angrily before throwing herself at him once again. He was a little too late in ducking and she nicked his shoulder, the blood splattering the woman's face.

Snapping his jaws, he thrust his head to the side, catching the vampire's arms in his jaws and giving it a vicious yank. With a splintering sound, the arm snapped clean off, sharp glass-like shards flying in every direction. She hopped away from his snapping jaws, her hissing a constant sound in his ears.

"That's enough, Konan," the now-familiar voice commanded. The female instantly backed off, her expression turning from livid anger to apathetic in a moment.

"Welcome, young werewolf," the man chuckled, drawing Naruto's attention. His eyes widened as he took in the sight before him.

Many wires and strange contraptions took up almost the entire left corner. Hooked up to all these machines was a frail-looking young man, his face drawn and pale. His dark hair hung limply on his head and the bags under his eyes were a dark blue.

"This will…be much easier…if you're in human…form," he rasped, his dark eyes piercing Naruto and giving him the shivers. He narrowed his eyes, suspicious and wary.

The man chuckled, which ended in a hacking cough, "Not to worry…We will…not attack…you."

Though it was against his better judgment, Naruto shifted into his human form. As much as he didn't trust the man, Naruto could tell that the pale creature was sincere and would keep to his word. The only problem would be for how long this agreement would hold.

"Who are you?"

"Getting right down…to business," another raspy chuckle escaped the man's lips, "Who I am…is not important. But…I guess…I can tell you…My name is…Nagato."

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Author's note: Sorry for how short this chapter is but I've been way busy at work and have not had time to write much. This is all I could get out for now. I once again apologize for the short length of it and promise that I will attempt to make the next one longer. As I have posted in my other story 'Over the Years', I will not be uploading this upcoming week as I will be on vacation from the 20 to the 27. I apologize for any inconvenience. I wish you all a Merry Christmas.


	35. Pain and Peace

"You...You're not a hybrid," the words came out tentative and almost questioning.

Nagato chuckled, "No…Indeed, I am not."

"But…you smell…"

"Just like them? That's because…I have both…werewolf and vampire…blood in me. But originally…I was human," another fit of coughing overcame the man and Konan stepped forward, worry in her dark eyes.

"But that's not possible! Shikamaru said it wasn't," Naruto took a step back, his head pounding from all the information being thrown at him.

"It's quite…painful…that I can…assure you…but not impossible," he regarded the blonde with piercing eyes, his thin lips twisted up into a grim smile.

Naruto ran a hand through his hair, struggling to understand, "Why do you want to restart the war? What good comes from doing something like that?"

"There can never…be real peace…between the two kinds…Real peace…is only achieved…through PAIN," Nagato's dull eyes bore into Naruto's sky-blue, chilling the werewolf.

"What are you talking about?"

"Please, Nagato, save your strength…I'll explain to this creature," Konan put a hand on the man's shoulder, her eyes warning him to take it easy. Nagato closed his eyes, but shook his head.

"No…I must explain," Taking a deep shuddering breath, Nagato began, "I lived…on the outskirts…of town with…my family. We were poor…and didn't have much…to live off of. Unfortunately…our house was close…to your borders. I was there…when the war…first broke out. The first battle…happened near…my house. I remember… because they stormed…my house soon…after and in the midst…of the confusion," another hacking cough, "My whole family was killed. I somehow…survived but wished…that I had died along…with them. I was…covered in bites…from both kinds and…the venom burned…within me. It was my…unfortunate luck that…Yahiko found me. He was likewise…human but had been…bitten by…a werewolf. He built…me this machine, the one thing…that keeps me alive. We found Konan…sometime later, a human…who had been bitten…by a vampire. As we grew, we…began to…understand that to…know true peace one must…first go through…true pain. It also…brought another conclusion…when Yahiko…was murdered. As long…as werewolves and…vampires existed, there could…be no real…peace. And what better…way to rid the…world of this disgrace…than to have the...two kinds…annihilate themselves?"

"You really believe that? You really believe that true peace is only achieved through pain? Look, it seems you've had a…well, a very hard life. But you're wrong. Both the werewolves and the vampires are doing all they can to get along," Naruto growled out, "You're not the only one who's had a tough life, believe me. I've had my share of pain. But I believe that if we just try to understand each other, then we can achieve peace."

"And you really believe that understanding will bring about peace?"

"I'm certain of it. You're right, in some ways we don't recognize true peace without feeling pain and destruction. But if we just tried to understand the other's point of view…well, we'd get along better. The hybrids are living proof that we can get along. That's why you want them killed isn't it? Because looking at them we can see hope for the future," Naruto paused for breath before continuing softly, "I understand your pain…I lost my parents to the war too. But Hinata helped me to see that the vampires are just like us. They have families, they hurt, they…they love. Hinata-chan makes me happy…and without happiness, what is peace?"

All was quiet for the next few minutes. Naruto held eye contact with the frail man before him, holding his head up high. Nagato didn't blink, his gaze piercing, gauging the sincerity of the werewolf's words. Konan stood by, her face set into a mask of indifference.

"Wise words…for someone so…young," a ghost of a real smile played on the corners of the man's thin mouth, "Perhaps you're right…Perhaps I'm the one…who's wrong."

"Nagato?"

Konan looked actually frightened, her dark eyes wide. Nagato struggled to lift himself from the many wires and needles which hung from his arms.

"NAGATO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Ironic, isn't it? That one…so young…would help me…find my peace…as I'm about to die?"

The woman now looked to be in hysterics, trying to get the frail human back into the chair that held him. For someone so weak-looking, Naruto thought the man was quite strong.

"What are you talking about?"

"Konan," the name was said with such gentleness that Naruto found himself turning away to give the two some privacy, "Konan…the machine…has not been…working for…the past month…I'm sorry…I have to leave you."

Konan's mouth fell open in shock, "No…No, this can't be happening. We'll fix it Nagato! We'll find some way to fix it!"

One of his hands reached out, cupping the woman's face, "Konan…it's too…late for…me. The young…werewolf…is right…While I was with…you and Yahiko…I was at peace…because I was…happy."

He turned from the crying vampire, once again locking eyes with Naruto. The blonde stood up a little straighter, waiting patiently for the man to speak.

"I will…no longer…pursue my quest…but it is…now up to…you to restore…the peace," another ghostly real smile lit up Nagato's face as he addressed the youth. Naruto nodded, his eyes hard with determination.

"I promise! I won't rest until that happens!"

"Wonderful…Konan, there…is something…I've always wished…I had the courage…to tell you…I've always…loved you…from the first…moment we met," the pale hand once again came up to caress her cheek, tenderly brushing away her tears. Naruto turned away once again, pity swelling within him. Muttered confessions of love were exchanged between the two villains. Naruto did not see the man crumble, nor did he see Nagato's eyes close for the final time.

But he did hear Konan's grieving wail. It was the most heart-wrenching sound he had ever heard. Hesitantly, he moved closer to the vampire until he was kneeling beside her.

"Are you going to be okay?"

Her dark gaze didn't waver from the still figure in her arms but she answered, "Would you be?"

Naruto shook his head, "No, I wouldn't. But he would have wanted you to be."

Konan finally looked up, "Yes…Yes, he would have. Thank you for helping him. You should go. Help your friends. Go back to your beloved. And…good luck."

Naruto stood and gave her a bright smile before shifting into wolf form and once again squirming through the tight passage. He emerged in the cavern room, looking around for any sign of his friends. All around him were vampires and werewolves, hurt but altogether still alive and helping each other stand. But his search didn't show him any of his friends.

He didn't even see the fist coming towards him until it was too late.

"NARUTO!"

A small fist connected with his cheek and sent him stumbling into the nearest wall.

"OUCH! GEEZ, SAKURA-CHAN, WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"

"For being an idiot, dobe," Sasuke glowered down at the blonde, taking his place beside Sakura.

"I'M NOT A DOBE, SASUKE-TEME!"

"You are so, you idiot. Disappearing like that in enemy territory is extremely stupid, not to mention reckless," Shikamaru had also come up, Ino still in his arms. The blonde nodded in agreement. Naruto bit his lip, muttering an apology to his friends.

"Where did you go anyway?"

"I found the one who was behind all this…His name was Nagato," Naruto softly told them of the exchange between them. The others listened intently, not once interrupting his tale.

"How…anticlimactic," Ino complained after he had finished. Everyone sweat-dropped.

"Well, at least it was all resolved peacefully," Sarkura muttered, "We should go find Tsunade and the Lords and tell them what happened."

"And get ready to go home. I think if Naruto spends any more time away from Hinata, he'll fall into depression," Shikamaru drawled, smirking when Naruto blushed. The others laughed, making their way toward where the leaders were huddled.

As Naruto looked around him, seeing all vampires and werewolves helping each other tend to wounds, he felt a surge of hope. Perhaps it wouldn't be so hard to establish peace between them after all.

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"Damn it! How much longer are they gonna take?"

"Tenten, please sit down," Neji sat with his eyes closed, "It's quite impossible to meditate with the racket you're making. Besides, they'll be along soon."

"If they didn't forget about us," Shino pointed out, no emotion whatsoever in his voice. Tenten turned to stare at the vampire, her eyebrows raised.

"It could happen," he shrugged, going back to watching a bug crawl up the stone wall.

Tenten pinched the bridge of her nose, "I'm surrounded by lunatics."

"That may well be, Tenten, but I'd much rather have you beside me," Neji opened one eye, "I'm finding myself missing your company."

Against her wishes, Tenten found her lips twisting up into a smile as she made her way over to her mate and sat beside him. He pulled her in close to him and placed an eager kiss on her lips. She rolled her eyes but responded with equal fervor.

"Now," he kissed her softly this time, "Are you successfully distracted?"

"Hum, I think I'll have to get back to you on that," she giggled pulling him in for another kiss.

Shino shook his head, "Lunatics, indeed."

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I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas. This story is winding down and I believe the end is nigh. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. The encounter with Nagato was slightly anticlimatic as Ino pointed out but that was how it turned out in my mind. Any constructive criticism is appreciated. Thank you for reading.


	36. Coming Home

"Baka, baka, baka, baka, BAKA!"

Each 'baka' was punctuated by a punch to Naruto's head. The blonde put up his hands in an effort to stop the enraged werewolf beside him.

"Tenten, stop hitting me! I said I was sorry! And it wasn't just me either! Everyone forgot! Why am I the only one being punished?"

"If you hadn't been in such a hurry to go home, then someone would have remembered!"

Naruto whined, ducking Tenten's strong fists, "Well, you weren't separated from your mate, were you? And besides, we came back for you; I don't know why you're throwing such a hissy fit."

"The only reason I haven't murdered you yet is because I know Hinata will be upset if I do," Tenten growled, smacking the blonde a final time. Naruto stuck his tongue out at her, rubbing at his now-sore head. Shikamaru rolled his eyes at his friend, hoping they'd get there soon. All that the werewolf wanted to do was crawl into a bed and sleep with Ino beside him. He definitely did not want to listen to Naruto whine the whole way home. And from the way everyone around them was glaring at Naruto, they didn't want to either.

"Dobe, shut up already," Sasuke's voice clearly portrayed the dark hybrid's irritation. Beside him, Sakura was clenching her fists, trying to control her temper and sudden need to wring Naruto's neck.

"Make me, teme!"

With a growl, Sasuke pounced on Naruto, a kick aimed at the blonde's head. The two were soon scuffling on the ground, insults and fists being thrown around. A vein popped in Sakura's head and she stomped over to the feuding males. A startled yelp escaped Naruto's mouth as Sakura grabbed the back of his jacket and pulled him a foot off the floor.

"If you want to make it back home in one piece," Sakura smiled eerily, "Then I suggest you walk with your mouth shut the rest of the way home."

Naruto's blue eyes were wide as he nodded eagerly, shaking with fear. The pinkette dropped him unceremoniously on the ground, muttering angrily about dumb blondes. Sasuke gave Naruto a final, triumphant smirk before following his mate. Naruto cursed under his breath, pouting childishly.

"We are nearly there, Uzumaki-san," Itachi had been watching the whole time and moved forward to walk beside the young blonde. He gave Naruto a wistful grin that Naruto understood too well. Gaara also moved up to walk beside the werewolf, nodding in agreement, his aqua eyes bright. The three men picked up their pace, eager to be with their significant other.

Their fast pace turned into a full out run as the towers of the vampire keep came into view. Naruto couldn't help the goofy grin that had emerged on his face as he sprinted towards the looming structure. From this close, he could hear the excited cries coming from inside. He was barely conscious of the fact that Gaara and Itachi were right beside him, matching his pace.

"Hinata-chan! Hinata-chan!"

And then his world seemed to come to a stop. Standing at the front of the entrance, tears in her soft lilac eyes, was Hinata. Forgetting that he was at a full sprint, Naruto barreled into her, knocking her to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs. She squeaked in surprise before breaking out into a fit of giggles and sobs.

Naruto wondered how he had survived those weeks without hearing her melodious voice. He brushed her tears away gently, feeling his own eyes fill with tears.

"You're back…You're back home," she sobbed, burying her face into the crook of his neck. Naruto held her tight against him, breathing in her soft lavender scent. He pulled her back after a while to give her a soft kiss.

Hearing the commotion, Matsuri and Kana had rushed out. As soon as Matsuri saw Gaara, she broke out in a run. Unfortunately, she tripped and if not for Gaara's quick reflexes, would have landed face-first in the dirt. The young vampire clutched at her red-headed mate, crying softly. With a surprising gentleness, Gaara scooped his fiancée up in his arms, whispering soothing words into the woman's ear.

Kana stood where she was, head cocked to one side. Itachi silently came up behind her, a tender smile gracing his features.

"Waiting for someone?"

The angel's face split into an enraptured smile and she turned around gracefully, throwing her arms around her mate's neck. Itachi chuckled, his dark eyes glowing with life.

Werewolf mothers weaved around them, bending down and picking up their pups. The werewolf children shouted with joy at being reunited with their parents. Vampires and Werewolves alike stood exchanging pleasantries. Shino and Kiba were discussing what the best type of pets were, Chouji was playfully arguing with a vampire on why being a werewolf was better, Konohamaru and Hanabi were whispering conspiringly, and Lee and Guy were hugging everyone within a mile radius.

Tsunade cleared her throat loudly, calling everyone's attention, "I'm afraid we must be going…Werewolves, assemble."

Almost reluctantly, the werewolves and vampires said their goodbyes, each separating into their respective groups. The only werewolves who stayed were they were, were Naruto, Shikamaru, Tenten and Sakura. Tsunade looked to the four, her gaze questioning.

"We're staying here for a while, Tsunade-baa-chan," he grinned fondly at the older woman, "Until living arrangements are worked out."

"From the look of things, there will be a huge wedding celebration soon, huh?"

Naruto nodded eagerly, while the others shifted shyly at Jiraiya's posed question. Hinata had turned an interesting shade of pink. Hiashi and Inoichi rolled their eyes good-naturedly.

"All right…Take care of yourself, Naruto. And keep in touch," Tsunade's dark eyes were warm with affection as she looked at her oldest son. Jiraiya playfully ruffled the youth's hair and Konohamaru nearly choked him with a crushing hug.

As one, the werewolves changed from human to wolf. With a dip of her head, Tsunade turned toward their territory and raced ahead, Jiraiya on her flank and the others rushing behind the two. The vampires watched them go until they vanished into the thick forest before wearily making their way into the keep. Itachi had his arm wound Kana's slim waist leading her into the keep. Gaara still held Matsuri in his arms, a ghost of a smile appearing on his solemn face. Ino, with Shikamaru's aid, was limping toward the entrance, moaning about desperately needing a bath and a good night's rest. Sakura was still somewhat irritated from the journey and her mate wisely kept about a foot of distance between them, his onyx eyes cautious. Neji and Tenten were once again arguing about something. Well, at least Tenten seemed to be arguing, her voice furious while Neji silently walked beside her. Naruto thought he caught the words 'selfish perverted bastard' as the brunette slipped inside, followed by a smirking Neji.

Naruto turned his attention to the petite woman in his arms, smiling radiantly, "So, did you miss me?"

Hinata let out a melodious laugh, "More than you can imagine, Naruto-kun."

He beamed, standing up with Hinata still in his arms, "Just for the record, I missed you too."

Hinata giggled, allowing Naruto to guide her into the large stone structure. All around them, vampires were disappearing into their rooms. Hinata had explained to Naruto that vampires didn't sleep, but they could exhaust themselves and when that occurred, they would fall into an unconscious state that would appear as if they were sleeping.

"Brother-in-law!"

The couple was nearly knocked over by the long-haired Hyuuga youth. Hanabi looked up at them, her smile uncharacteristically shy. Naruto stood baffled, smiling in confusion.

"Hey, Hanabi…Nice to see you too," Naruto looked down at his wife with puzzled blue eyes. Hinata's own lilac ones were shining with laughter. Hanabi took a step back and Naruto was sure that he could see the tiniest hint of pink on the half-vampire's cheeks.

"Listen good cause I'm only going to say this once," Hanabi took a deep breath, her lilac eyes solemn, "Even though you're loud and kinda obnoxious, you take good care of my sister and I guess I kinda like you…but just a little, got it?"

Naruto blinked, trying to make sense of the rushed blabber that had issued from the vampire's mouth, "Uhmmm…yes?"

"Good, I'm glad we understand each other," with those words, Hanabi silently stalked away from them, a proud grin adorning her face. Hinata watched her sister vanish, a fond warmth in her eyes. Naruto chuckled in amusement, leading his mate up the stairs.

They passed their friends' rooms, nodding at Sasuke who stood outside of the Uchiha's own room. Naruto raised an inquisitive eyebrow to which Sasuke shook his head, a surly frown on the onyx-eyed hybrid's face. Naruto smirked, much like Sasuke had done to him earlier that day, before entering the room he shared with Hinata. She led him first towards the bathroom, her eyes twinkling like stars in the dark.

"Now, as much as I love you, Naruto-kun, you are in desperate need of a bath," she giggled softly, pulling him into the spacious room and drawing water into the tub. He sniffed at his clothes and winced, deciding that she was right, his sensitive nose wrinkling. He quickly stripped down, stepping into the warm water.

He sighed, feeling more exhausted than he had seconds before. His eyelids drooped down, and he had to blink fast to keep them open. He heard Hinata's tinkling laugh and then felt her hands tenderly rubbing at his scalp. The smell of sandalwood lifted up around him and he breathed out in contentment.

"I'm going to wash off the shampoo now, Naruto-kun," she spoke softly, "Close your eyes."

It was too easy to obey her. He felt the water run down his head, the suds from the shampoo slithering down the ends of his wet hair. She scrubbed his body down with some soap before gently ordering him to step out and giving him a towel. As soon as he was sufficiently dried, she handed him a bundle of clothes.

By now, he could barely keep his eyes open. His head bobbed as he struggled to stay conscious long enough to put on his pajamas. He wasn't sure what Hinata was saying anymore. Only that he had missed the sound of her voice more than he had thought, and that it was rather soothing.

He barely felt it when she helped him recline on their bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out, his breathing deep and even. Hinata watched him for a few minutes, her eyes full of love and affection. She lay down beside him and couldn't help the soft giggle that escaped when he pulled her body closer to his, burying his face into her hair. She could feel her own eyes sliding shut, her thoughts blurring together as sleep struggled to overcome her.

With a final glance at Naruto's sleeping face, she gave in to the welcoming darkness. For the first time in weeks she felt warm and peaceful and for once, no nightmares invaded her mind.

The creak of the door went unheard by either occupant.

A dark head poked itself in, smiling at the sight of the two cuddled on the bed. With a happy nod, Hanabi retreated back into the hallway, shutting the door quietly.

As she quickly stole down the hall, she offered a silent prayer of thanks for bringing everyone back in moderate safety and for the peace that now surrounded them.

*Author's note: Maybe one or two chapters until I wrap this up. As you can clearly see, I suck at writing climatic battle scenes...I'm rather opposed to conflict and do whatever I can to stay far away from it whenever possible. But I hope that this story has been enjoyable to my readers. Until next Thursday.


	37. Another Wedding

"I think my tie is trying to choke me," Naruto whined, adjusting it for the millionth time in the last minute. Hinata giggled, reaching up and helping him loosen the restrictive article of clothing. He exhaled loudly as he felt it no longer pinching his neck.

"Is that better?"

He nodded, "Much. Thanks, Hinata-chan."

He smiled widely and bent down to steal a kiss from his wife. His thought process halted as the word sprung up in his mind. HIS WIFE. Hinata-chan was now his wife. He felt a strange sense of pride at thinking those words.

"It's not the only thing that wants to choke you," Shikamaru drawled from where he sat on Naruto's left. Naruto cast an inquisitive glance in his direction to which the lazy genius nodded toward Sakura. The pinkette was gripping her fork so hard, it had bent in half.

"I swear, Naruto, if I hear one more peep from you, I'll rip out your intestines, chop them up into little pieces, and feed it to you," Sakura growled out, breaking the metal fork cleanly in half. Naruto squeaked in fright, cowering behind Hinata. Hinata tried to calm her husband down, reassuring him that Sakura was just kidding.

"She looks pretty serious to me, Hinata-sama," Shikamaru's chuckle was brought to a halt by a smack from Ino, one that sent his head straight into the table, "OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR, YOU TROUBLESOME WOMAN?"

"No one asked your opinion, smart-mouth," she hissed at her mate, bashing him over the head once more for good measure. Neji snickered before Tenten sent him a chilling glare and he abruptly turned the chuckling into coughing.

"Please, sit back down, Naruto-kun. Everyone is just a little…tense," Hinata ran a soothing hand over Naruto's blonde hair, planting a small kiss on his cheek when he took his seat again.

"A LITTLE? More like a LOT!"

"You didn't have to plan the whole wedding, did you?"

Naruto wisely chose not to answer Tenten's question, instead shrinking down in his seat and shaking in fear. A large hand clapped Naruto's shoulder, almost knocking him off his chair.

"Hey, son!"

Naruto turned around in his chair, flashing a brilliant grin, "Pervy Sage!"

"How do you feel now that you're a permanent slave?"

A spoon flew right into Jiraiya's face with such force that it knocked the white-haired man backwards.

"Ouch, Tenten! Damn! Why are werewolf women so strong?"

"Disregard him," Tsunade glared at her mate, bending down and placing a kiss on Naruto's forehead, "He's an idiot."

"Tsunade-baa-chan!"

Naruto was rewarded with a resounding smack to the back of the head. Hinata couldn't stop the giggle that escaped her mouth. The others just rolled their eyes.

"I've already told you to stop calling me that," she growled, her eyes hard. Naruto whined pitifully, rubbing at his head. Tsunade ignored him and proceeded to congratulate each of the couples. Before she left, Naruto heard her mutter about having to find the sake.

"You're sure you hid all of the sake, Hinata-chan?"

"Don't worry, they're in good hands," Hinata smiled, her eyes twinkling. Naruto grinned back at her, his curiosity piqued.

"Whose?"

Hinata pointed to two people who were weaving through the crowd, their smiles almost diabolical. Naruto blinked as he recognized his own brother and Hanabi.

"Are you sure about letting 'em take care of something like this?"

"Don't worry so much, Naruto-kun," she laughed, "After all, it is your wedding!"

"Why, so it is! Would you like to dance, Hinata-chan?"

"Of course," she giggled, taking his offered hand and letting him pull her up. Ino asked them to wait for her as they moved off, dragging a rather reluctant Shikamaru with her to the dance floor. Neji and Tenten had their heads together, talking in tones too quiet for anyone to hear. Sasuke was watching Sakura scarf down her dinner with a sort of disgusted amusement. Gaara had a content Matsuri in his lap, twirling her hair in his pale fingers.

Needless to say, Naruto wasn't one of the best dancers. The first time he had ever danced with Hinata had been at Itachi's wedding and he had felt like a bumbling fool, constantly stepping on her toes. Even though Naruto was sure her toes couldn't take so much abuse, she had continued to assure him that she didn't feel anything and that she was just happy to be able to dance with him. They had been having their own private dance lessons since that time. He was sure he would never be able to be the perfect dancing partner but he no longer stepped on her toes, which was a great improvement in his book.

And while they weren't the picture of gracefulness, they were having a lot of fun.

"OUCH WOMAN! WOULD YOU QUIT STEPPING ON MY TOES?"

"SHUT UP AND TAKE IT LIKE A MAN!"

A chuckle drew Naruto and Hinata's attention from the two Naras. They turned to find Itachi and Kana, Itachi chuckling in amusement. He nodded his head in greeting, his onyx eyes sparkling in the room light.

"They sure are a lively duo, aren't they?"

Naruto grinned, "Hey there Itachi! Kana! You guys enjoying the party?"

Kana smiled kindly, her face turning towards the sound of the blonde's voice, "It's very energetic, Uzumaki-san."

"That's a good thing right?"

Kana laughed softly, her voice full of mirth, "A very good thing indeed, Uzumaki-san. Congratulations to the both of you, by the way."

"Thank you, Kana-san," Hinata broke away from Naruto to give the older woman a grateful hug. Kana gently hugged her back, tears slipping from her sightless blue eyes. Stepping back into Naruto's embrace, Hinata tilted her head up and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. Naruto beamed with pleasure, his grin stretching from ear to ear.

"Oh, Uchiha-san," Hinata called out to the retreating figure. He stopped and looked back, patiently waiting for her to speak.

"Have you seen my father?"

A smirk settled over the dark-haired man's features, "I believe I saw him take a step outside with Inoichi, both muttering about how expensive this whole thing turned out."

Hinata blushed and nodded, "Oh…hmmm, thank you."

With a nod of his head, Itachi disappeared into the crowd, leading his angel wife to where his brother sat. Sakura had thankfully stopped eating and was trying to get Sasuke to go dance with her. The Uchiha looked pretty solid on his stance though, his arms tightly folded across his chest. Matsuri was having a bit better luck with Gaara, though not by much. At least the redhead didn't have his arms crossed.

Neji and Tenten were having target practice with the kitchen knives, hurling them toward a wall where various other kitchen utensils were already embedded. Shikamaru and Ino had stopped dancing and were now shouting at each other.

Naruto looked around at all their guests, both vampire and werewolf alike.

Guy was challenging Kakashi to another 'duel, which the vampire was blatantly ignoring, his nose stuck in a little orange book. Lee had started bawling at the beginning of the ceremony and hadn't stopped since, blubbering about lost love and cherry blossoms. Temari was punching Kankuro, probably for a shrewd and quite possibly lewd comment he had made. Chouji had to be tied down to his seat so he wouldn't attack the buffet table. Kiba and Shino were having some sort of contest to see which of their pets were better. Kurenai was holding a small child in her lap, Asuma standing protectively behind her. Tsunade and Jiraiya had started arguing after Tsunade caught him ogling her chest.

Naruto was sure Hanabi and Konohamaru were up to something by the punch table, probably spiking it, if Anko's attetitude was anything to go by. The purple haired vampire was currently demanding that Kakashi marry her or she'd burn all his perverted books.

Needless to say, he agreed.

Hiashi and Inoichi had returned, still speaking in low hushed tones, their expressions almost one of sorrow as they looked around at the decorations.

'All in all,' Naruto thought with a chuckle, 'Everyone looks like they're having fun.'

"What is it, Naruto-kun?"

He turned to his wife again, kissing the top of her head, "I was just thinking that we have one crazy, messed up family."

"Hmmm…That's true…But I wouldn't change it for the world," her eyes shone with sincerity as she mimicked his actions and looked around the large ballroom, her smile soft.

"You know what? Neither would I," bending down, he captured her lips in a breathtaking kiss before spinning them around, surrounded by their large and sometimes insane family.

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*Author's note: I believe the next chapter will be just a quick epilogue. Thank you for all the reviews I've received. Happy reading.


	38. Epilogue

"And that's how I single-handedly stopped a psycho from disrupting the peace," Naruto finished, a proud glow in his blue eyes. A small blue-haired 4 year-old squealed in glee, before throwing herself at him. Naruto caught her just in time.

"Daddy hewo!"

Naruto laughed, hugging his daughter closer to him, "That's right, Reena, Daddy's a hero."

"Dobe, what kind of garbage are you telling our kids this time?"

Naruto turned quickly, glowering at the newcomer. Sasuke stood in the doorway, his arms crossed tightly across his chest. A pink-haired 2 year-old rested in his arms pulling at his dark hair, much to her father's annoyance.

"It's not garbage, Teme…its facts," Naruto stuck his tongue out at the hybrid, turning his attention back to his small audience.

"Naruto-san, is that really true?"

Naruto grinned down at the 6 year-old Tenji, ruffling the boy's long, chocolate brown locks. The boy humphed in irritation and glared at his 'uncle' with pupil-less lilac eyes. Sasuke and Sakura's 7 year-old, Kei, rolled his eyes exasperatedly, going to stand beside his father.

"Of course it's true, Tenji-kun, have I ever lied to you?"

The boy gave him a dead-pan look, "Do you really want me to answer that?"

"My dad always tells the truth, hippie," Naruto's oldest stood, his own lilac eyes flashing with challenge. Tenji's eyes narrowed as he stood up, facing his cousin.

"What'd you call me, Minato?"

Minato scoffed, "What, are you going deaf? I said…"

The 6 year-old never got to finish his sentence as Tenji pounced on him, quickly hitting his nerve points. Minato cried out in indignation and rage, kicking the boy off of him with as much force as he could muster.

"Whoa, cut it out you two!"

Naruto stepped in between the two feuding children, giving each of them stern looks. Tenji huffed, glaring at his cousin before he sat down by 7 year-old Rue, who had fallen asleep halfway into the story. Minato glared back at Tenji as he undid the nerve technique. Reena gripped her father's hand tightly, her large blue eyes full of tears. Naruto tried to soothe the 4 year-old down before she began bawling.

"Way to break up the fight, dobe," Sasuke said, surprise interlacing with his bored tone. Naruto turned to glare at his best friend.

"And thanks for all the help, teme," Naruto growled sarcastically. Sasuke chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. Then he cursed as Kairi began to pull at his hair again, giggling all the while. Naruto snickered loudly.

"Huh? Is the story over?"

Everyone turned toward the sleepy Rue, who raised her eyebrows in confusion, "What?"

Reena started giggling, rushing over to the dark-haired young girl and throwing herself onto Rue. Minato laughed at his little sister's antics, sitting down beside Neji's 5 year-old daughter, who had been solemnly watching the whole fight with serious chocolate-brown eyes.

"Minato-nii-san?"

Minato turned toward his other cousin, "What is it, Kimi-chan?"

"Don't fight with Tenji-nii-san anymore…please?"

The blonde looked over at his long-haired cousin and the two boys locked eyes. Tenji blinked a few times before reluctantly nodding his head and Minato mirrored him. He grinned down at Kimi, pulling on one of the twin buns on her head. The girl squealed, falling down in a heap into her cousin's lap. After which, he began tickling her mercilessly. Reena, spotting her brother and cousin having fun without her, quickly got up from a disgruntled Rue and skipped over to the two.

"Me next, nii-san! Me next!"

Naruto chuckled before drawing his attention back to his best friend, "So, what's going down? I thought you were spending time with Sakura-chan."

The dark hybrid said nothing but he noticed that Sasuke had gone just a little bit paler than usual. A blood-curling scream the next second had Naruto fearing for his friend's life.

"SASUKE!"

Sasuke groaned, "Great."

Kei looked up at his father, "Mom's angry."

"SASUKE, I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO DO THE LAUNDRY WHILE I PUT HIKARI DOWN FOR A NAP!"

"I came to get Kei," Sasuke turned around to face his fuming wife. Kei nodded seriously, looking up at his mom with unblinking green eyes. Sakura's own green eyes narrowed in unbelief. She was now seven months along with their fourth child and had been having morning sickness the past few days. Needless to say, she was not a happy camper.

"Geez, where's the fire?"

A very large and pregnant Tenten came waddling down the hallway, Neji walking beside her. Tenten was only five months along but was twice the size of Sakura. The weapons mistress had almost murdered Neji when they found out that she carried triplets.

"Mommy," Kimi disentangled herself from her two cousins, a delighted smile on her cherub face. Tenten grinned back at her daughter, opening her arms so that she could give her daughter a hug.

Tenji walked up to his father, both wearing identical smirks. Tenten, catching sight of her oldest, bent down and ruffled his hair. The boy gave her an exasperated look, mumbling in irritation.

"Hey guys…Oh, Sasuke, there you are," a yawn interrupted the speaker, who was none other than Shikamaru, "Itachi was looking for you…Seems Kana just went into labor."

Sasuke blinked his onyx eyes a few times. Sakura's mouth dropped open in surprise, knowing that Itachi's and Kana's first child wasn't due for another month. Before the Uchiha could say a word, his pregnant wife had grabbed him and Kei by the hand and dashed down the hall, going much faster than Naruto thought possible for someone with such a large stomach.

"How troublesome," Shikamaru yawned again, "Come on, Rue, your mom wants to go out for a run with the family."

"Do we have to?"

Naruto chuckled in amusement. If there was anyone lazier than Shikamaru it would have to be his dark-haired offspring. A frustrated, feminine yell could be heard around the keep, echoing off the walls.

"SHIKAMARU, YOU LAZY BUM, HURRY UP!"

"How troublesome," the two Nara's said in synch, their shoulders slumping in resignation. The two grumbled out a good-bye before shuffling off, both complaining on their lack of a good nap and how they would have to deal with a troublesome angry blonde.

"Actually, Naruto, we came to get you and the children," Tenten turned to the blonde, a weary smile on her face, "Hiashi is hosting a dinner tonight in honor of Hanabi and Konohamaru's engagement. Hinata wants you to hurry up there so she can get the kids ready."

"AH! I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT IT! CRAP! COME ON, CHILDREN! YOU KNOW HOW GRANDPA HIASHI IS IF WE'RE LATE!"

Reena clapped her hands and giggled as her father scooped her up. Minato professionally scrambled up his father's back, clinging to him like a monkey. With a loud "See you later!" the three disappeared down the hall in a cloud of dust.

"We need to get going too," Neji leaned down to whisper in his wife's ear. She shuddered, much to his amusement. She sent a frigid glare in the smirking Hyuga's direction.

"You know, it was that kind of behavior that got me into this situation," she grumbled, beginning to waddle down the hallway. He took his son and daughter's hands in his own, following her down the hall, rumbling chuckles vibrating through his body.

"Have I ever told you that you look beautiful like this?"

"Suck-up," she punched his arm hard, disappearing inside of their room. He followed her in, smirking in response.

Meanwhile, Naruto made it to his and Hinata's room, finding the Hyuga humming to their youngest, a little baby of no more than 3 months old. He bent down to kiss his wife before planting a soft kiss on little Kushina's fuzzy, yellow-haired head.

Naruto made his way to the bathroom with his two oldest children, quickly ushering them in and making sure they were scrubbed clean. Reena took a little longer since she wouldn't stop squirming, squealing when her fluffy pink sponge so much as touched her skin. After he made sure that they were in clean clothes and had passed the 'mommy radar', he got to work on himself. As soon as he was done, he took the sleeping Kushina from his wife so that she could get ready.

"Hey, Dad?"

Naruto snapped out of his trance-like state, turning his attention to Minato. The little boy looked up at him seriously, his moon-like eyes curious.

"What is it, squirt?"

"How do Uncle Lee and Uncle Guy get a sunset to appear out of nowhere?"

Naruto sweat-dropped, rubbing the back of his head, "Well, Uncle Lee and Uncle Guy…they…uh…well…I really have no idea how they do it."

"They said that it was the powew of youth," Reena giggled, swinging her thin legs back and forth from where she sat on the bed. Minato's expression changed from confused to just plain lost.

"Son, listen carefully to your dad now. We never EVER try to figure out what is up with Guy and Lee. Understand?"

"Yes, dad," Minato nodded, his face set into a serious expression. Naruto grinned, ruffling his blonde hair fondly. That ensued a tackle fight which ended with Naruto on the bottom and his two children giggling on top of his back. Kushina had been shifted from his arms to the small crib by the bed. A soft musical laugh drew Naruto's attention to Hinata, who was watching them with glowing lilac eyes. With an ear-shattering squeal, Reena launched herself from the bed and into her mother's arms, hugging her tightly.

"I luv you, mommy," Reena's sky-blue eyes twinkled as she hugged her mother tighter, small dimples appearing on her cheeks as she smiled. Hinata shared a tearful glance with Naruto, her smile grateful and loving.

"And I love you, Reena," she kissed the top of the child's head, laughing when the little girl began giggling uncontrollably. Reena was one of the mostly giggly girls Naruto had ever known.

"Hey, what about me?"

Minato instantly pushed himself off the bed, rushing over to the two females with a pout. Naruto shook his head, running a hand through his golden hair.

"I could never forget my little prince," Hinata kneeled down, taking the toddler into her arms. Minato puffed out his chest proudly, giving his mother a wet kiss on the cheek.

"Mommy, Mommy! What about Daddy? Do you love Daddy?"

The two parents looked at one another, silently communicating with only their eyes, "Very much, Reena."

Naruto mouthed 'I love you more' to his wife to which she responded with a light musical laugh.

"YAY!"

Naruto shot a worried glance over his shoulder at the crib but was surprised to see that Kushina had not stirred. He ran a hand through his hair, chuckling dryly. The tiny baby girl slept like a rock and close to nothing could wake her up.

"Shall we go?"

Bending down, Naruto picked up their still-sleeping infant and nodded, his teeth flashing brightly as he grinned. The family made their way out of their room and down the hall, toward the Hyuga part of the keep. While walking, they passed Gaara, who was positively grinning from ear to ear.

"Did you see what I just saw? Was Gaara actually smiling or was that just my imagination?"

Hinata playfully nudged him in the ribs, "Didn't you hear? Matsuri is pregnant."

Naruto gave a low-whistle, "Wow, the keep is starting to turn into a baby-making factory. Neji and Tenten alone seem determined to repopulate the entire Hyuga line by themselves."

"I heard that, you pervert!"

A fearsome growl had Naruto turning around, stammering out an apology. Tenten waddled past him, bonking him on the head with a well-placed fist. Neji glared at the blonde as he passed, sending frightened shivers down the werewolf's spine.

"Geez, people just don't appreciate good humor nowadays," he grumbled, following his giggling wife and children. Minato cast a pleading glance up at his mother to which she nodded. The six year-old scurried forward to walk beside Tenji, the two boys instantly speaking in hushed whispers.

"Daddy, why Gwandpwa having special dinnew?"

Naruto transferred Kushina over to Hinata so that he could pick up their dark-haired daughter. He planted a light kiss on her forehead, making her giggle.

"Well, Uncle Konohamaru and Aunt Hanabi are getting married," he explained to the attentive four year-old. She nodded solemnly, her blue eyes serious.

"Daddy, did you know Reena-chan going to marry Kei-nii-san?"

"WHAT?"

Reena laughed, a soft tinkling sound, "Daddy's face funny!"

"Aren't you a little young to be thinking about stuff like this?"

The girl shook her head, her navy-blue pigtails whipping around her face, "No, Reena-chan love Kei-nii-san."

"Are you hearing this, Hinata-chan? My innocent little daughter wants to marry that arrogant bastard's arrogant son. Oh, what is this world coming to?"

"Kei-nii-san is nice," Reena pouted, her blue eyes challenging him to say otherwise. Hinata smiled softly back at the two, shaking her head. Naruto looked his daughter in the eyes, amused at how fierce she looked.

"Whatever you say, pumpkin," Naruto ruffled her hair, successfully messing it up.

"Mommy, Daddy's mussing up my haiw!"

Hinata slowed down her pace and stood on her tippy-toes, planting a chaste kiss onto his whiskered cheek. He quickly turned his head and let his lips meet hers. She blushed a bright red, swatting him lightly.

"What?"

Hinata rolled her eyes but her smile betrayed her amusement. Reena tugged on her father's tie, silently begging to be let down. Naruto obliged with her request, setting her lightly on the floor. Smiling, he watched his daughter rush over to her brother and grasp his hand. A comfortable warmth spread over him, heating him from his head all the way down to his toes as he watched his family walking in front of him. He could feel the familiar prickling in his eyes. He reached forward, grasping his wife's arm gently and pulling her back against him. She gasped in surprise before looking up at him with questioning lilac eyes.

"I…I just want to say…T-Thank you," Naruto uncharacteristically stuttered, his ears turning a light pink.

"For what, N-Naruto-kun?"

"For giving me a chance. For giving me a family. For giving me three beautiful children. And for giving me your heart," he whispered so quietly, Hinata almost didn't hear him. Fortunately, she did and tears sprang up in her eyes.

"You don't have to thank me, Naruto-kun…I love you. I have since you saved me from myself all those years ago, showing me that what kind of blood I had didn't matter but the person that I would become did. And I believe it was a fair trade, don't you? Your heart in exchange for mine?"

He nodded, silent tears making tracks down his whiskered cheeks. Hinata smiled brightly, reaching up to give him a loving kiss on his lips.

"Are you two going to stand there all night?"

Naruto and Hinata turned to a smirking Neji, blushes on both their cheeks. They hurriedly wiped their tears away, smiling goofily at each other. Naruto held out his hand and Hinata took it, her eyes gleaming like two silver moons.

"Ready, love?"

"As long as you're with me, I'm ready for anything," Hinata whispered softly beside him, her gaze trusting and sincere.

Naruto smiled, and with a last loving glance down at his wife, stepped forward into the room, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead of them as long as he had this wonderful woman by his side.

*Author's note: It has been a long journey but at last we are at the end. Many thanks to those who stuck through until the end. I hope you've enjoyed it. And thanks to all those who reviewed. Those got me through the writer's block more times than I can count. A fond goodbye to you all. ~bows~


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